edited by David Jury.
Berkeley, California: The Codex Foundation, 2008

If you were at the Codex Foundation Book Fair and Symposium in San Francisco in February 2007, you may remember seeing Peter Koch during his inaugural speech, holding a large black book aloft and reminding exhibitors to have examples of their work ready to be photographed for the exhibition ‘catalogue’. You may also remember seeing volunteers scurrying around, collecting and delivering books to three frazzled individuals in a small room nearby. Their job was to photograph every item several times, recording the cover, inner page spreads and any unusual use of materials, processes or structure.

Eighteen months later, the book is almost ready for distribution. It is titled book art object. The book is case-bound, twelve by nine inches (portrait), contains 432 pages and approximately 735 colour images, and presents the work of the artists, designers and printers who came to California from all parts of the world. The work of the exhibitors occupies 200 pages.

There is a preface by Peter Koch and an introduction written by David Jury outlining the historical relationship between art, design, and the book. The following section contains the illustrated transcripts of each of the four speakers: Robert Bringhurst, Felipe Ehrenberg, Sarah Bodman, and Dr Stefan Soltek, all devoted to the book as poets, historians, artists, and publishers.

The book includes five essays written by prominent artists and bookmakers from around the world: Crispen Elsted, Canada; Markus Fahrner, Germany; Martha Hellion, Mexico; Jadwiga Jarvis, Australia; and Gerald Lange, United States of America.

The book contains an index of contact information and historical details for every 2007 CODEX book fair exhibitor, including descriptions of their working methods and current work.

book art object is edited and designed by David Jury and copy-edited by J. O. Bugental. The photographer is Douglas Sandberg.

book art object is available directly from The Codex Foundation.

Book; 450 pp.    9 x 12 inches    O.P.       $inquire