University Libraries Presents 'Bound and Unbound VII' Altered Book Exhibition
“Bound and Unbound VII” is located in the exhibition case on the second floor of the I.D. Weeks Library and is open to the public for viewing during library operating hours, which can be found online. The exhibition can also be viewed online in the Digital Library of South Dakota.
The University Libraries Art and Exhibits Committee, sponsor of the exhibition, seeks to both showcase a diverse range of current and international altered-book art and to present the work locally. Sixty-three artists entered the call for the exhibition with 199 works from nine countries, 29 U.S. states and one U.S. territory.
“Arguably, ‘Bound and Unbound’ is now established as a leading exhibition of altered books in the United States,” said Dan Daily, dean of University Libraries. “Submissions from artists throughout the U.S., Europe and Latin America attest to the growing prominence of the exhibition. More importantly, altered book art, as ‘Bound and Unbound VII’s’ juror Brian Dettmer eloquently reflects upon, is a testament to the power of books and the ideas that they hold.”
“AI [artificial intelligence] has been on my mind lately. It has dominated the news, intrigued and concerned us all about how information will be collected in the future,” said Dettmer, whose work has been the subject of over 25 solo exhibitions at both international galleries and institutions. “The conventional conversation would lead one to believe that the world of ideas is all digital and that books are outdated; yet the fact that books are still the focus of such sharp attacks goes to prove that they are the most powerful and impactful tool we have to share stories and communicate complex ideas to others.
“This is why I feel that the field of book art is more vital and relevant than ever. An artists’ book or altered book can take a familiar form and question and expand its direction without erasing its power. It enters the realm of art yet retains the tangibility and intimacy that only a book provides,” he continued.
One of the leading contemporary artists working with book art today, Dettmer selected 44 works from 29 artists. “While reviewing the list of entries for ‘Bound and Unbound VII,’ I was reminded that the potential for book arts can span as far as any genre or medium in the visual arts,” Dettmer said. “I am proud of the originality and diverse approaches to the work in this exhibition. The entries for this exhibition have cast a new light on my own perception of the field and inspired me to see altered books in several new ways.”
Artists featured in the exhibition include the following: Aileen Bassis (New York), Katina Bitsicas (Missouri), Martin Brief (Missouri), Dillon Bryant (South Dakota), Lisa Co (Florida), Magdalena Cordero (Santiago, Chile), Guylaine Couture (Quebec, Canada), Gina Fowler (South Carolina), Kathryn Frund (Connecticut), Gesine Janzen (Montana), Bonnie “Bebe” Kuhr (California), Carole Kundstadt (New York), Curt Lund (Minnesota), Sarah Matthews (Maryland), Piotr Pandyra (Małopolskie, Poland), Chris Perry (Connecticut), Gina Pisello (Washington), E. Y. Reilly (Arizona), Ken Reker (Massachusetts), Sabine Remy (Germany), Janet Reynolds (Texas), Catherine Robinson (Colorado), Heather Ryan Kelley (Louisiana), Claudia Sbrissa (New York), Lynn Skordal (Washington), Nancy Steel-Makasci (Utah), Lorna Stevens (California), Rhonda Urdang (Arizona), Nanette Wylde (California). Read more about each artist and their work on the “Bound and Unbound VII” LibGuide.
“This year’s exhibition is dedicated to the memory of altered book artist, muralist, painter, teacher, author, social justice activist, and original Freedom Rider Janet Braun-Reinitz from Brooklyn, New York, who passed away on May 3,” said Sarah A. Hanson-Pareek, curator of digital projects. “Braun-Reinitz was an avid supporter of ‘Bound and Unbound’ and one of the exhibition’s most loyal artists. She entered every call and is greatly missed. The University Libraries wants to honor her impact and legacy.”
For more information about the exhibition, contact Sarah A. Hanson-Pareek at Sarah.HansonPareek@usd.edu, Danielle De Jager-Loftus at Danielle.Loftus@usd.edu, or Michael Boring at Michael.Boring@usd.edu.
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