Book Art.

What do high school students think about as they enter a library or bookstore? In our present time of easy Internet access to information, why do we still enjoy picking up a book, feeling its weight, touching and examining its cover, and finally opening its pages to discover the contents contained within? Will books eventually be replaced entirely with technology? Why do humans still enjoy the sensation of holding a book in their hands? These are all questions that my 3-Dimensional Design and Advanced Art students contemplated as we began exploring the meaning of the book.

History

A history of the book--from Egyptian papyri rolls dated as early as 3,000 BC to the contemporary coffee-table book--presented by our school librarian, piqued students' interest as they contemplated the meaning of the book. Students perused a collection of books with subjects ranging from cave paintings through photo essays of the 60s. I introduced my Advanced Art and 3-Dimensional Design students to the book as an art form, compiling a poster of contemporary book art images and providing Internet sites related to contemporary art books. The June 1995 Smithsonian article, "Science defined by the hands of a book artist," provided additional inspiration. Imaginations began to stir as students looked at the book in a new way. Ideas for creating a visual statement in the form of an artbook were shared with classmates.

Process

Students selected a format for their artbook and began to develop a theme. They asked questions such as, "What is the purpose of the book? What message do I want to convey? How can I design my book effectively using the elements and principles of design? How can I coordinate the cover with the pages to create a unified message and artwork?"

Students recycled old encyclopedias and books to use in their artwork. They glued the book pages together with papier-mache paste, using printmaking rollers and their hands to smooth and secure the pages as they dried. Each book was designed to open at a place that would be incorporated into the final artwork or used for a new idea.

The gluing process took two class periods, and the books dried overnight. Students cut areas out of the pages to suit their design. Gaps between pages were filled with paper clay. The preparation of the artbook was the most technical stage, and students struggled to remain patient as they worked to achieve good craftsmanship.

After refining their themes and reviewing the project criteria, they were ready to give their ideas form. Each book required the use of three of the following media: a self-made stamp and the resulting print, a polymer clay 3-D object made from the stamp, a hand-sculpted polymer clay object, a cutout section, or a found 3-D object. Students designed and carved their own rubber stamps using soft flexible printmaking blocks. Some students rolled out polymer clay, stamped their design into it, cut it out, baked it, and painted it. Others hand-built polymer 3-D objects or collected objects to attach to their book.

After the basic recycled book was dry, students gessoed both the front and back of the book and polymer objects. They finished the cover of the book using decorative paint techniques, such as sponging, stressing, and faux finishing. The front was masked and painted with spray paint or acrylics. Details were added to both the pages and the cover using paint, stamps, writing, and 3-D objects. Students secured items to the book with glue, screws, and clear wire. The final artworks that emerged were impressive, and student enthusiasm was at an all-time high.

Follow-up

We followed the art project with a written and oral critique of the finished books. As they described, analyzed, interpreted, and judged each book, the thought and effort they put into the work was impressive. Some books were rooted in historical themes, some displayed much-loved or new writings, others simply explained or clarified a concept. Throughout the process, students discovered that giving a new look to an old book lends it a new life with a rich, altered appearance, as well as giving it new meaning, limited only by the artist's and viewer's imaginations.

NATIONAL STANDARD

Students apply media, techniques, and processes with sufficient skill, confidence, and sensitivity that their intentions are carried out in their artworks.

Diana Mysee is an art teacher at Skyview High School in Billings, Montana.