Editing Artist's book (section)

{{Short description|Work of art in the form of a book}}
{{Redirect|Art book|the French livre d'art|Livre d'art}}
{{About||the general concept of art in books|Book illustration|the company|Distributed Art Publishers}}

[[File:RuschaGasolineStations.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Twentysix Gasoline Stations]]'', 1963 by [[Ed Ruscha]]]]
'''Artists' books''' (or '''book arts''' or '''book objects''') are [[Work of art|works of art]] that engage with and transform the form of a book. Some are mass-produced with multiple editions, some are published in small editions, while others are produced as one-of-a-kind objects.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Greenfield |first=Jane |title=ABC of bookbinding: a unique glossary with over 700 illustrations for collectors and librarians |date=2002 |publisher=Oak Knoll press The Plough press |isbn=978-1-884718-41-0 |location=New Castle (Del.) Nottingham (GB)}}</ref>

There is not a singular definition of an artist's book, and formulating a definition is cumbersome and subject to debate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pigza |first=Jessica |title=Yale University Library Research Guides: Book Art Resources: The Term Artists' Books |url=https://guides.library.yale.edu/c.php?g=295819&p=1972525#foot |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=guides.library.yale.edu |language=en}}</ref> Importantly, the creation of artists' books incorporates a variety of formats and genres.<ref name=":2" /> They have a complex history, with a particular focus and growth in contemporary artist movements.<ref name=":1">{{Citation |last=White |first=Tony |title=Artists' books in the art and design library |date=2017 |work=The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship |pages=99–108 |editor-last=Dyki |editor-first=Judy |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/handbook-of-art-and-design-librarianship/artists-books-in-the-art-and-design-library/1436F65CDDABEE4BD966689F125BAA45 |access-date=2025-04-28 |publisher=Facet |doi=10.29085/9781783302024.014 |isbn=978-1-78330-202-4 |editor2-last=Glassman |editor2-first=Paul|url-access=subscription }}</ref> They also have recently grown in popularity, especially in art institutions, and have become popular in art library reference workshops.<ref name=":1" /> The exact definition and usage of artists' books has become more fluid and porous alongside the growth in popularity of artists' books.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Lippard |first=Lucy |date=1985 |title=The Artist's Book Goes Public |journal=Artists' Books: A Critical Anthology and Sourcebook |publisher=Visual Studies Workshop Press}}</ref>