This exhibition explores the establishment of a fine and private press movement in America, beginning at the end of the nineteenth century and continuing to the present day, through its various uses of color. Color was used not only to enhance the page visually, but also to convey important information. Techniques employed to impart color to the page varied, from hand-coloring printed outlines to colored woodcuts and engravings, from applying color through stencils (pochoir) to color lithography, from silkscreening to typographic color. The exhibition celebrates the recent acquisition by the Penn Libraries of The Jean-François Vilain and Roger S. Wieck Collection of Private Presses, Ephemera, & Related References.
The accompanying catalogue is Color in American Fine and Private Press Books, 1890-2015: The Jean-François Vilain and Roger S. Wieck Collection of Private Presses, Ephemera, & Related References, designed by Jerry Kelly. It includes essays by Lynne Farrington, Russell Maret, and Jean-Francois Vilain as well as exhibition checklist and list of presses in the collection. The catalog is available here.
Celebrating the themes of our newest exhibition, Across the Spectrum, this symposium will explore the work of fine presses from different perspectives. Speakers will discuss the creation of fine press books; the history of color in books; art in and art of fine press books; teaching book arts to a new generation; and collecting and exhibiting fine press books. The keynote address will be delivered by Mark Dimunation, Chief of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress.
Preliminary Schedule
5:30-6:30 pm Symposium keynote address: Mark Dimunation
Mark Dimunation is the Chief of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress
6:30-7:30 pm Exhibition opening reception
8:30-9:00 am Registration and coffee
9:00-10:30 am Welcome and Session 1: Creating Fine and Private Press Books
Carol Blinn
Abigail Rorer
Robin Price
Mark Tomlinson
10:30-10:45 am Break
10:45 am-12:00 pm Session 2: Color in Fine and Private Press Books
Dan De Simone
Russell Maret
12:00-1:30 pm Lunch (on your own)
1:30-3:00 pm Session 3: Art in/Art of Fine and Private Press Books
Mindy Belloff
Carolee Campbell
Michael Thompson
3:00-3:15 pm Break
3:15-4:45 pm Session 4: Teaching Making/Teaching with Fine and Private Press Books
Matt Neff
Sharka Hyland
Barbara Henry
4:45-5:00 pm Break
5:00-6:00 pm Session 5: Collecting and Exhibiting Fine and Private Press Books-Three Perspectives
Jean-François Vilain
Lynne Farrington
Mark Samuels Lasner
The symposium is sponsored by the Muriel Pfaelzer Bodek Fund for Library Public Events of the University of Pennsylvania Libraries.
Welcome and Introduction.
William Noel, Director, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Symposium Keynote - Looking Differently: Book Arts in the 21st Century, Mark Dimunation, Chief of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress.
Across the Spectrum Exhibition Overview, Lynne Farrington, Senior Curator, Special Collections, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
Session1. Creating Fine and Private Press Books - Alice Austin (chair). Welcome - Lynne Farrington and Jean-Francois Vilain.
Carol Blinn, Warwick Press, A One Woman Shop.
Abigail Rorer, Collaboration and The Lone Oak Press.
Robin Price, The Chameleon Approach to Book Arts. Mark Tomlinson, No Straight Lines.
Session2. Color in Fine and Private Press Books - David McKnight (chair).
Dan De Simone, Color Printing in Early Printed Books.
Russell Maret, Color in the Modern Fine Press Artist's Book.
Session3. Art in/Art of Fine and Private Press Books - Hannah Bennett (chair).
Mindy Beloff, Intimate Vision: The Art in Intima Press Books.
Carolee Campbell, The Poetry In & Of Artist's Books: A Braided Path.
Michael Thompson, Fine Press Books, Fine Art Books, and the Contemporary Art Market.
Session4. Teaching Making/Teaching with Fine and Private Press Books - Shushi Yoshinaga (chair)
Matt Neff, Teaching with the Common Press.
Sharka Hyland, WHAT?! and Other Observations: Learning from the Collections at the Kislak Center.
Barbara Henry, Facing the Students.
Session5. Collecting and Exhibiting Fine and Private Press Books - Three Perspectives
Jean-Francois Vilain
Lynne Farrington
Mark Samuels Lasner.
