Uncovering Artists' Books

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Nobuo Kubota, "Phonic Slices (Tranches phoniques)," 2001

mixed media, 39 x 28.6 cm. Collection of the Paul D. Fleck Library and Archives.

Curated by Geraldine Davis

Opening reception: September 28, 5:30 – 8:30 pm

Curator’s talk: 6 – 7 pmI

In the exhibition, Uncovering Artists' Books, curator Geraldine Davis introduces us to the multiplicity of forms that are artists’ books. These portable art objects, through their sensual and tactile layers, offer intimate access to the artists' creative processes and imagery. This exhibition brings together work ranging from the mid-twentieth century to present day, from the East Coast to the West, in hopes of delivering moments of contemplation and fresh perspectives on the history of Canadian art.

One of the books to be featured in this exhibition is Le Refus Global, produced in 1948 by a collective of artists including Paul-Émile Borduas. Published in church-dominated Quebec, the book revolutionized visual arts practice in Canada by advocating a move away from representational traditions and into Automatism, a more spontaneous approach to art-maing. Viewed in the context of artists' books, Le Refus Global becomes both a document and window into the past.

Another artist to make a significant contribution to the field is the Vancouver-based artist, Nobuo Kubota. His 2001 short composition, Phonic Slices, reconfigured a sculpture of plywood letters into a flat, printed surface through the process of scanning. By including print technology in his multi-media art practice, Kubota further develops the notion of tactility in artists' books.

Uncovering Artists' Books moves through different periods, styles, and mediums to reveal the importance of artists' books as documents, windows, and playful expressions. Through a close look at the various expressions of artists' books, Geraldine Davis proposes a unique form of art viewing that is both immersive and patient.

For this project, Davis has drawn on the collections of Paul D. Fleck Library and Archives, (Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity), Library and Archives Canada and Grimsby Public Art Gallery. The project has received funding from Canadian Heritage Museums Assistance Program.

A catalogue will be produced for the exhibition and will include texts by A.A. Bronson, Johanne Sloan, Martha Wilson and Geraldine Davis

More about the Curator:

Geraldine Davis is an independent curator and art dealer based in Toronto. Launching her professional career with the publication of a collaborative artist's book, A Rebel Gravity 1978, she has curated a number of major exhibitions and exhibitions catalogues, some of which include Art at Work: Corporate Collecting Practices Today (Art Gallery of Mississauga), J.C. Heywood: A Life in Layers (Burnaby Art Gallery), and Printshops of Canada (Macdonald Stewart Art Centre). Uncovering Artists' Books was initiated by the curator in collaboration with the Grimsby Public Art Gallery in 2016.