Books have always played a role in shaping society. From the moment Gutenberg’s Bible was set to print, books have served to educate, inform, democratize and redefine. The enduring legacy of the book as a powerful vehicle for social transformation is just as significant today as it was over five hundred years ago. Artists’ books can serve as powerful catalysts for addressing social issues such as race, diversity, inclusion, sustainability and much more. They can challenge us to rethink and reframe our historical and current narratives and offer new perspectives. To read the complete essay, visit the Overview Essay tab of this guide.
There are many components of this Digital Teaching Collection for you to explore!
In this rotating gallery, you'll get a glimpse of some the items from this digital teaching collection. Click on the image to be taken to a digital database where you'll find a larger version of the object, more details about it, and be able to download a copy to use for research. To see the entire set of sources, visit the List of Sources.
Transforming Hate: an Artist's Book by Clarissa Sligh is a project that turns hateful words into a beautiful art subject. Its evolution helped the artist to fully understand the many levels of oppression and violence that form the intersections of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation. It asks the viewer to question their own perceptions about history, reality, identity, and voice.
Erase the Hate by Katie Delay is an artist’s book with an Italian cloth center spread that includes a pop-up construction. It explores bullying, race/ethnicity, sexual preference, religion, and women’s issues. Each topic is addressed in its own sewn signature placed into a handmade envelope.
But What Should I Wear?: a choose your own outfit adventure by Megan Miller is a spiral bound artist’s book with clear plastic covers and computer-printed images with a hand-crafted removable paper doll and nine removable hand drawn articles of clothing. The book represents the objectification women face with objectification points awarded for each outfit of clothing chosen by the reader. The author intentionally chose not to create a way to reach zero in an effort to represent how women ‘cannot win’ no matter what they wear.
Nisqually Delta Restoration Puzzle by Lucia Harrison is an artist’s book in the form of a puzzle with 32 watercolor illustrations. The artist’s book shows the restoration on the land between Olympia and DuPont. Each tile has two sides - one that shows the dikes and invasive Reed Canary Grass, and the other that shows the restoration of the salt marshes estuary.
Executive Order 9066 by Mary Jeanne Linford is an accordion folded artist’s book attached to boards covered with printed Japanese paper. The pockets in the accordion hold reproductions of photographs taken during the evacuation and forced relocation of Japanese-American citizens during World War II. With each photo is a small card of text that contains reports and editorials from local newspapers, as well as text by Kay Nakao and Joseph Conrad.
This digital teaching collection has been made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this digital collection do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.