OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

264251 Thomas Conroy 2017‑12‑15 Re: Thumb screw wanted
Claudio said: "I was about to say the same as Ed.  I liked several of the
designs, but couldn’t see the maker info anywhere."

Sorry it took me two tries to get the question. I assumed that the pdfs on the
Hand Bookbinders of California site were reproductions of the printed catalogues
of the exhibitions, but my antiquated and inadequate computer won't open most of
them. The 40th Exhibition does open for me, and that is indeed a facsimile of
the print catalogue, with each photo captioned with the name of the binder, the
name of the book, the size, and a cobbled-together description that does not (at
least in my case) reproduce what was said on the entry form. The descriptions
should, but do not, include the author, the date, the publisher, the
illustrator, and the form of illustration. The slideshow for the 39th Exhibition
doesn't have captions, but I hope and assume that there is more information in
the pdf. The most recent couple of catalogues have not yet been put up on the
website, I think so as not to interfere with catalog sales.

The majority of the books in these shows are "design bindings," individual
unique bindings responding artistically to the work itself but also to the
particular edition in hand, both the illustrations and the typography. Not
knowing the edition that was bound is horrible, especially in the case of a work
like the Fleurs du Mal which has appeared in many fine editions as well as
dozens of ordinary ones. Typically, design bindings are done in full leather
(usually goatskin, under various names). Unfortunately, the only online photosI
have of my work are in the HBBC Exhibitions.

Recent exhibitions have contained growing numbers of fine edition bindings and
"artist's books." Fine edition bindings would normally be on fine-press books,
in small editions of typically a dozen to a couple of hundred copies; the
edition binding will be identical on each copy, but will be of more artistic
sensibility, better materials, and more careful technique than a trade edition
binding---especially nowadays, with trade bookmaking right down the toilet.
"Artist's books" may be unique or run in small editions, but the point is that
one artist is the maker of the entire object, illustrating and printing as well
as text (if any). Artist's books draw on the technique of traditional binding,
printing, and calligraphy, sometimes on photography or painting, but they
usually attempt to stretch the meaning of what a book is---sometimes to the
point of having nothing at all like tet or intellectual content. You get the
same sort of solipsism (nihilism?) on the lunatic fringe of artistic wood
turning.
Tom Conroy

Recent Bios FAQ