The New Jersey Book Arts Symposium
Encyclopedia
The New Jersey Book Arts Symposium is an annual conference at Rutgers-Newark
that presents contemporary artwork by living New Jersey
book artists and artisans, and considers issues of current relevance to the practice and understanding of book art, as well as to the cultural perception and evolving definition of the notional book. The NJBAS has a distinctive focus on the work of artists and artisans with a relevant biographical connection to New Jersey, either through birth, residence, employment or education. The NJBAS surveys both traditional and non-traditional book arts, including typography
, printing
, bookbinding
, paper-making
, calligraphy
, illustration
and graphic design
, as well as the production of artist's books, bookworks, book objects and book installation art
.
Since its inception in 1995, every NJBAS conference has included several dependable components: presentations by New Jersey artists and artisans; a general topic chosen in advance http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rulib/spcol/bookarts/chrono.htm; an exhibition of objects contributed by the conference presenters (frequently with thematically related works by others, as well); the Book Artists' Jam: a program event in which all attendees can share and discuss their own creations in a market or bazaar-style atmosphere; academic presentations. Frequently NJBAS conferences also include a workshop or demonstration of specific skills and techniques. Some of these have been woodblock printing
, rubberstamping, creating papercuts
without knives or scissors, papermaking
, collaborative bookmaking and Pronto Plate lithography
.
Although academic presentations are a staple of The NJBAS, they do not fall into a predictable pattern, with respect to focus or format: Panel discussions, research papers, slide talks by historians, museum curators, arts administrators, librarians, collectors and others, as well as video documentaries have figured in The NJBAS history. Presentations are inter-disciplinary, with a focus generally falling on topics in art history
/criticism
, history of the book
, printing and publishing and cultural studies
.
As well as drawing on the expertise of Rutgers University
faculty, staff, students, and alumni, the NJBAS highlights the creative work of the faculty and staff of the The Brodsky Center for Innovative Editions (formerly The Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper). On occasion, nationally and internationally prominent book artists, writers and art institutions are invited to participate, when their expertise touches on the conference theme.
Founding Director: Michael Joseph
Artistic Director: Karen Guancione
Rutgers-Newark
Rutgers University in Newark is one of three campuses of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the eighth oldest college in the United States and a member of the Association of American Universities...
that presents contemporary artwork by living New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
book artists and artisans, and considers issues of current relevance to the practice and understanding of book art, as well as to the cultural perception and evolving definition of the notional book. The NJBAS has a distinctive focus on the work of artists and artisans with a relevant biographical connection to New Jersey, either through birth, residence, employment or education. The NJBAS surveys both traditional and non-traditional book arts, including typography
Typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
, printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
, bookbinding
Bookbinding
Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It usually involves attaching covers to the resulting text-block.-Origins of the book:...
, paper-making
Papermaking
Papermaking is the process of making paper, a substance which is used universally today for writing and packaging.In papermaking a dilute suspension of fibres in water is drained through a screen, so that a mat of randomly interwoven fibres is laid down. Water is removed from this mat of fibres by...
, calligraphy
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
, illustration
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
and graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
, as well as the production of artist's books, bookworks, book objects and book installation art
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
.
Since its inception in 1995, every NJBAS conference has included several dependable components: presentations by New Jersey artists and artisans; a general topic chosen in advance http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rulib/spcol/bookarts/chrono.htm; an exhibition of objects contributed by the conference presenters (frequently with thematically related works by others, as well); the Book Artists' Jam: a program event in which all attendees can share and discuss their own creations in a market or bazaar-style atmosphere; academic presentations. Frequently NJBAS conferences also include a workshop or demonstration of specific skills and techniques. Some of these have been woodblock printing
Woodblock printing
Woodblock printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper....
, rubberstamping, creating papercuts
Papercuts
Papercuts is an American indie pop project centered around Jason Robert Quever.-History:Papercuts is the musical project of San Francisco songwriter/producer Jason Quever. Quever had been making home recordings since high school, but the first official release as Papercuts was 2004's Mockingbird...
without knives or scissors, papermaking
Papermaking
Papermaking is the process of making paper, a substance which is used universally today for writing and packaging.In papermaking a dilute suspension of fibres in water is drained through a screen, so that a mat of randomly interwoven fibres is laid down. Water is removed from this mat of fibres by...
, collaborative bookmaking and Pronto Plate lithography
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
.
Although academic presentations are a staple of The NJBAS, they do not fall into a predictable pattern, with respect to focus or format: Panel discussions, research papers, slide talks by historians, museum curators, arts administrators, librarians, collectors and others, as well as video documentaries have figured in The NJBAS history. Presentations are inter-disciplinary, with a focus generally falling on topics in art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
/criticism
Art criticism
Art criticism is the discussion or evaluation of visual art.Art critics usually criticize art in the context of aesthetics or the theory of beauty...
, history of the book
History of the book
The history of books follows a suite of technological innovations for books. These improved the quality of text conservation, the access to information, portability, and the cost of production...
, printing and publishing and cultural studies
Cultural studies
Cultural studies is an academic field grounded in critical theory and literary criticism. It generally concerns the political nature of contemporary culture, as well as its historical foundations, conflicts, and defining traits. It is, to this extent, largely distinguished from cultural...
.
As well as drawing on the expertise of Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
faculty, staff, students, and alumni, the NJBAS highlights the creative work of the faculty and staff of the The Brodsky Center for Innovative Editions (formerly The Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper). On occasion, nationally and internationally prominent book artists, writers and art institutions are invited to participate, when their expertise touches on the conference theme.
Founding Director: Michael Joseph
Artistic Director: Karen Guancione