Carol Barton, Tunnel Map 1988This tunnel book is a little unusual because of its circular shape depicting the shape of our Earth. The book art is known already from 1800 hundreds when the books were popular as toys for children. What I like about the book art is that you don't necessary need to have drawing or painting talent. Book art is more about mechanical skills. Instead of pencil drawing you can use other technique like cutting and putting pieces together to form a book. With many cut outs and special tools available in craft store it can be easier than ever. To me its very similar to card making or scrapbooking.
I like this one since it's unique, and I agree that it is more like scrap art, or arts and crafts.
ReplyDeleteI would argue that it is content, and not at all medium, that defines something as 'art' versus 'art and crafts'. Paper cutting is a medium that requires skill, in the same way that drawing and painting require skill. The main question is, to what end is that skill used? I would say that this piece is probably aimed towards children, and that there is no overarching question or theme; it was done for the joy of making, and produced with little thought. This is not said in a spirit of enmity, I sometimes enjoy creating without the pressure of thinking about why I'm making something or if how I'm making represents what I'm trying to say. However, I do think that contemporary art is a very intellectually rigorous field, and that the most successful artists (book artists included) are those that bring something innovative to the discussion of art.
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