I’m so excited!
I’ll be in Cambridge this week for the opening reception at Houghton Library for the InsideOUT exhibit on September 10th. I will also get to see the ARA Canada exhibit La couleur du vent at the North Bennet Street School before it closes on September 14th. I will see so many contemporary fine art bindings in one day, I think my head might explode. Fortunately, I already have the InsideOUT catalog and have studied La couleur du vent online.
Who is going to be at the InsideOUT reception? I can’t wait to be in the same room with so many binders, librarians, and collectors of contemporary fine art bindings.
From now on I am going to be using the term “contemporary fine art binding” instead of “design binding.” Bindings are a form of fine art. Using the term “fine art” places the bindings in an understandable framework. Art collectors and most book collectors don’t know the meaning of the terms “design binding” or “contemporary fine binding.” The concept is too abstract. I’d like to present bookbinding within the construct of contemporary art, which is where I think it belongs. I see my change in terminology as a tiny step toward bringing bookbinding in a contemporary idiom to a wider audience.
That’s what we all want, isn’t it? A wider audience for the amazing work binders are turning out these days?
American Bound 
In French we say “reliure d’art”. Which is exactly that. Art.
Et vive les arts du livre!
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Could you post a copy if your article for us to read ?
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I agree with you. I have been trying to get these binders to think of themselves as artists, not as mere craftspeople. They should begin by signing their work. Artists sign their work.
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I agree with you 100% that Fine Art Binding are much better words to describe contemporary designer bookbinding ! I wrote an article about designer bookbinding being a fine art, back in the 70’s. I still believe in it today.
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