Bruce Peel Special Collections

Though not without historical precedent, the rise of artists’ books (or bookworks) as a distinct artistic form is related to the formal experimentation associated with twentieth-century avant-garde movements. Artists’ books experiment with the physical form of the book, the visual conventions of the page, the experience of the reader, and traditional book production materials and methods. Despite the difficulty in defining “artists’ books,” they can be broadly characterized as original works of art that reflexively engage with the book form and its history, meaning, and identity. The collection of artists’ books in Bruce Peel Special Collections exemplifies this type of diversity, ranging from items that retain the traditional codex form but experiment with text and image conventions on the page to items that take on the form of boxes of documents or sculptural works, challenging our most basic ideas of what a book is and what it should do. This collection goes back to the 1960s, but is largely dated from the 1980s. It is a collection that celebrates Canadian artists, though artists from all over the world are represented, and it includes the "Home Museum Collection," purchased from Frankie Brown (an artist from Berkeley, California) who collected and curated 379 artists' books between 1960 and 1985. 

Getting started: Most student researchers will want to employ a series of keyword searches in the University of Alberta Library catalogue in order to find published materials about artists’ books and bookworks in print and digital formats. The library catalogue can be used to identify artists’ books that explore particular topics or those that are made in particular formats (such as accordion fold or miniature books). For more information about research in the Peel library, see Finding and Requesting Peel Library Materials.

Further resources: Dig into the collection through the Peel library’s digital exhibition—Canadian Women Artists' Books (2020)—or by watching videos showing several artists' books being opened and displayed. The Peel library mounted a major exhibition accompanied by an award-winning book/catalogue: "Wow, open this!" Paper Engineering in Books and Artists' Books (2014). 

Collection Formats: 20th Century, 21st Century, Art Work, Artists Books, Books, Limited Edition Books, Specialty Bindings -- click to see other collections with this format