“For the purposes of this Exhibition, the definition of “book” is very flexible. If the artist conceived his work as a book, I have generally accepted his position” - Dianne Vanderlip
In 1973, The Galleries at Moore opened an influential exhibition that included over 250 books created by prominent contemporary artists. Titled simply Artists Books, the exhibition surveyed the emergence of artistic book production after 1960, and in so doing, codified a phrase that is now the commonplace descriptor of a thriving genre of contemporary art practice.
Curated by Moore’s then-gallery director Dianne Vanderlip, the exhibition was accompanied by an impactful catalog listing works by John Baldessari, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Sol LeWitt, and many others. In addition to the catalog, Moore published an original artist book by Claes Oldenburg—titled More Ray Gun Poems—to accompany the show.
Artists Books At Fifty celebrates the golden anniversary of this groundbreaking exhibition, gathering examples of several of the pieces that appeared in the original show.
This installation is a collaboration between the Connelly Library, the Department of Fine Arts, and The Galleries at Moore College of Art & Design. Special thanks to the small but mighty group of talented and committed staff & faculty who made this show possible.
