Artists' Books and the concept of self publishing

Description of Activity

"Guest lecturing at SMART Talk, an opportunity created by the British Council to bring "some of the best of British talent to China giving inspirational talks to young people and students, raising their awareness of the pioneering work and projects going on in the UK." (The British Council). The lecture was presented at Hunan University, Changsha then travelled to Chengdu to Sichuan Normal University on Wednesday 25th of November followed by their final showing at Chongqing University in Chongqing on the Thursday. Outline of lecture The production of artists’ books is a creative way, through traditional and contemporary methods, that students can promote their concepts by self-publishing. It is important for students to have the potential to develop appropriate methodologies to become involved in this re- emerging area with its potential as a medium of expression allowing for multidisciplinary solutions. There are an ever-growing number of courses from degree level through to PhD where this genre is being used as a medium to disseminate creative work. National and international library collections, archives, book arts organizations and resources on the Internet support and facilitate artists’ book production and research. In this lecture I would outline what distinguishes this genre from other art forms, what artists’ books are and the impact that they have on the students ability to self publish. I will outline the influence that the University of Portsmouth’s collection of 200 books, its online archive and database has had on students in the school of Art and Design from BA, MA through to PhD level. I will show physical artefacts (Artists books) from the collection and expand on how these and the archive affects learning, teaching and student research.

Period	23 Nov 2015 → 30 Nov 2015
Held at	British Council, United Kingdom