I call the books I design and make “artist’s books”. According to Wikipedia, “Artists’ books (also called bookworks) are works of art realized in the form of a book. They are usually published in small editions, though sometimes they are one-of-a-kind objects. Artists’ books have employed a wide range of forms, including scrolls, fold-outs or loose items contained in a box.”
I guess that’s an ok definition, but a few pictures would help. While there are lots of pictures on the web and lots of books available, I particularly like Sarah Bodman’s book Creating Artists’ Books. She doesn’t try to define “artists’ book” and instead presents copious examples in this “guide for visual artists who are interested in creating work in the artist’s book format.” Bodman, based in England, has a European slant. And that slant is precisely what makes the book interesting to me. In addition to the many examples and photographs, the appendices provide a resource guide to the book arts in Europe—book shops, galleries, fairs, events, organizations and journals. Bodman touches on all aspects of the book arts, even providing a section on ways to display books effectively. And at $15 it’s a steal. [It’s available from Amazon.]
Bodman works at the Center for Fine Print Research at UWE Bristol. They have a bi-monthly newsletter, produce a bi-annual yearbook, and have a PDF publication called Artists’ Books Creative Production and Marketing. But the project I like best is Bookmarks, which distributes bookmarks made by artists to encourage interest in the book arts.