THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOKMAKING:
Inspiration, Creation & Acquisition

In this presentation, Maureen Cummins describes how her practice, which began with searching around in flea markets, eventually led to her being an artist-in-residence in major research archives. Her work involves a rich and often unconscious relationship with images, materials, and voices from the past.

Maureen pages through a selection of artist’s books from her career, using them to illustrate aspects of her practice, such as working with experimental materials, entering the archive, and strategies for drawing out themes. She also discusses how to develop a practice of recognizing and recording one’s own creative ideas.

Caleb Cane Marcus is an artist, designer, and founder of Luminosity Lab. He presents “Concepts through Design & Typography” sharing case studies focused on innovative books he has designed.

Known for his visionary and a sculptural approach to book design Caleb has designed projects for major institutions including the Museum of the City of New York and Brown University’s “Carrie Mae Weems: Varying Shades of Brown”.

With a focus on typographic precision and the book as a tactile, emotional, and conceptual experience, his work blends artistry with deep research and a artistic vision, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

Ann Fessler combines images and text to address the gap between recorded history — the history we learn from authoritative sources — and that same history as understood by those who lived it. By collecting, disseminating, and preserving the stories of ordinary people’s lives she hopes to contribute to a more expansive and inclusive understanding of history.

In this session, Ann discusses her current book in-progress, "The Things He Gave Me and The Things I Took", a photobook/memoir about her adoptive father, in the context of her earlier artist’s books. She shares concepts/structures from time-based mediums like film that have inspired her, and influenced her thinking about books.

In this presentation, Chilean-born, New York-based artist and educator María San Martín addresses the role of artists’ books and printmaking as civic, historical, and political tools for reconstructing narratives and fostering social change. María discusses her multidisciplinary trilogy composed of the following: "Moving Memorials", "Dignidad", and "The Javelin Project". María further explains the use of mobile artists’ books, sculptures, archives, and installations to highlight issues of memory, human rights violations, and resistance in contemporary Chile and Latin America.

This lecture also includes a digital live performance, illustrating the interplay between a book’s form and its narrative power. As part of her series "Dignidad", María activates a kinetic metal artist’s book, transforming the act of reading and the physical elements of the book into a dynamic choreography.

In this presentation, Gianluca and Gianmarco Gamberini of L'Artiere Edizioni discuss their core philosophies and collaboration strategies that guide their independent publishing endeavors. They share insights into the principles and considerations shaping their choices of projects, collaborators, and partnerships. Notable publications from L’Artiere are highlighted, offering case studies and a glimpse into the memorable experiences involved in the creation of these books.

Additionally, Gianluca and Gianmarco provide an overview of the current independent publishing landscape, examining contemporary trends, challenges, and how L'Artiere positions itself within the global context.

In this presentation, Marieke Van Der Steenhoven discusses her experience developing a vibrant and diverse collection of contemporary bookworks within an academic library as well as the innovative ways she activates these collections. Through student engagement, exhibitions, and public programs, Marieke utilizes artists' books, rare books, manuscripts, and archival collections as dynamic teaching tools.

In addition, Marieke shares strategies for targeted acquisitions and overall collecting approaches for academic libraries and explores how institutional collections support research, creative inquiry, and public engagement.

Richard Klein joins to emphasize the importance of documenting books to convey form and materiality. He demonstrates techniques for depicting books as three-dimensional objects, using natural light to highlight texture and volume.

Richard also covers methods for creating both still images and page-turning videos with minimal equipment, including tips on post-production.