Web Site Search

Link to Ask Us page
Artists' Books by Women

Awkward Peeping 

Introduction

Selected Artists' Books

Additional Resources

Artists' Books by Women

Introduction

Though there is no hard and fast definition for the term “artists’ book,” one can start with the idea that they are original works of art that utilize the structure of the book in some way. Artists’ books are almost always self-conscious about the structure and meaning of the book as a form, taking the structure of the book beyond every day expectations.  Artists’ books as a medium took off in the United States and Europe in the 1960s, and by the 1970s major production centers were established, including the Women’s Studio Workshop in upstate New York and the Nexus Press in Atlanta. 

The Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History and Culture, part of Duke’s Special Collections Library, has been collecting artists’ books since 1998, and currently holds about 200 artists’ books by women about gender issues. It can be argued that a book published through traditional means is an inherently patriarchal object, so it follows that these artists’ books by women can be viewed as a means of subverting established concepts of power and order. This subject guide offers an annotated selection of books around several subject areas including women’s clothing, quilting, mother/child relationships, women’s health, and sexuality, as well as a bibliography of secondary sources. New artists' books have recently been added to the collection.

Finding Artists’ Books in the Online Catalog

Duke University Libraries has artists' books at the Special Collections Library, as well as Lilly Library. To search for all artists' books in the online catalog, enter "artists books" as a keyword search or use this link: All artists’ books at Duke University Libraries

To find artists' books by women, use search for "subject begins with..." and type "artists books by women" or use this link: Browse "artists' books by women"

Notable book artists and presses

The Sallie Bingham Center has a number of holdings by the following artists and presses. You can search the artists' names as authors and the presses as keywords, or use the links below.  

Next page: Selected Artists' Books

This subject guide was created by Amy McDonald, Lindsay Matson, Megan Lewis and Kelly Wooten. Last updated January 2008. The image featured in navigation box is Joan Soppe's Awkward Peeping, 1995.