The Book Art. Classification and analysis of the terminology developed around the Book Art.

Abstract

After almost forty years of intense debate about the Book Art, and considering the literature related to this matter, the terminology developed around the Book Art still presents a great degree of confusion. Throughout this paper the terminological concepts involved in this context will be highlighted. One of the reasons for this conceptual ‘entanglement’ is the enforcement and generalisation of a wide spectrum of creations related to the notion of book under the term of Artist Book. Because of the aforementioned, in this study the term Book Art will be used to include the general ensemble of: Illustrated Books, Livres d’Artiste or de Peintre, Artists’ Book, Artistic Magazines and Manifestos, Object Books, Installation Books, Performance Books and Electronic Books. Thus, the aim of this research is first to distinguish each of the individual meanings that the concept of Book Art can adopt and secondly unfolding the inaccuracy that envolves from labelling Book Art any work, even if these are solely one of the typologies that the Book Art can embrace.