Artists’ Books: Where to put the apostrophe?

January 3rd – August 6th, 2015

Curated by Sarah Mottalini, Curatorial Assistant of Art Collections & Exhibitions

Ronald King, Gift Horse 1999, ed. 23/50, poem by Richard Price, London England: Circle Press, © Ronald King

A fairly recent addition to the hierarchy of the art world, the medium of artists’ books has been surrounded by controversy since its induction in the 1970s: defying definition, classification, and the gallery. This exhibition features artists’ books from the Union College Permanent Collection, Special Collections, and private collections, including works by Joseph Kosuth, Dieter Roth, Edward Ruscha, and Lawrence Weiner.

This display of artists’ books was part of a larger, three-part exhibition, Mot Juste, a celebration of text and language in contemporary visual arts on view during Winter Term 2015. Additional exhibitions included Textual, on display in the Mandeville Gallery, and Distracted Wreading, a multimedia event and discussion that was held on Thursday, February 17th, 2015, in the newly renovated Karp Hall.