Guided by Susan Kae Grant, learn how to create a unique photographic artist book, exploring innovative bindings and techniques to thoughtfully blend images and text. Perfect for both bookmakers and photographers.

Dates:
Sep 30, 2024 - Oct 4, 2024

Levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced,
Workshop Fee: $1895
Workshop Duration: 1-week (Monday-Friday)
Workshop Location: On-campus
Class Size: 12

Join lens-based artist Susan kae Grant for an inspiring and dynamic hands-on workshop exploring the genre of handmade photographic artists’ books where participants gain a glimpse into innovative bindings and ways to incorporate images and text.

Portrait Of An Artist And Her Mother - By Susan kae Grant
Portrait Of An Artist And Her Mother – By Susan kae Grant.

To stimulate and illustrate strategies for design, sequence, and structure, a display of original artist’s books as diverse in style and direction as in technique are available each day for discussions.

With guidance, participants design and create mock-ups and handmade photo books utilizing the binding styles and techniques demonstrated. The last day culminates with an extended discussion of resources for production and inspiration and concludes with group reflections and feedback on work created during the week.

Radio Active Substances Process - By Susan kae Grant
Radio Active Substances Process.
Option A- Radio Active Substances - By Susan kae Grant
Radio Active Substances – By Susan kae Grant.

Who is the Workshop For?

Photographers and Bookmakers:

— Interested in mastering beginning and advanced bookmaking techniques who wish to see their images and words in the form of a handmade book.

— With a new photo book idea or existing works-in-progress who desire to learn new skills and brainstorming techniques to design and fabricate a handmade limited-edition artist’s book of their work.

— Interested in gaining insight and awareness of the diverse landscape of artists’ books today.

DASS Transfer - By Susan kae Grant
DASS Transfer.
Accordion Process - By Susan kae Grant
Accordion Process.

Purpose:

This hands-on workshop is designed to provide awareness, techniques, resources, and knowledge of the genre of artists’ books.

To provide an overview into the world of artists’ books incorporating photographic images and text while blending traditional and contemporary practice. 

To learn best practices for designing and fabricating books by hand and engaging in immersive studio time to share ideas, contemplate and experiment with creating one’s own photo books.

Q&A discussion of an extended resource list for production and inspiration.

Participate in group reflections and feedback on work created during the week.

One Sunday I Became The Virgin Mary - By Susan kae Grant
One Sunday I Became The Virgin Mary – By Susan kae Grant.

What will the students expect to learn?

Through lectures, discussions, demos, and guided writing exercises participants will:

  • Engage in memory, personal insight, and intuition to design and fabricate a handmade book of photographs that symbolically balances form and content.
  • Gain experience using guided writing exercises to inspire creativity, materiality, image editing and methodologies for sequence.
  • Learn 30+ techniques to physically incorporate images and text into handmade books and the technical execution of the DASS image transfer process.
  • Identify paper grain and best practices for folding and tearing paper to create signatures for binding.
  • Determine significant parts of a book for page layouts and fabrication of mock-ups.
  • Gain insight into best practices for fonts, type size, line length, etc.
  • Learn hands-on technical execution of three bookbinding structures including the: Pamphlet; Concertina Hybrid; Open-spine Japanese Retchōsō, and options for fabricating soft and hard covers.  
  • Examine original printed examples of best Inkjet papers for pages and incorporate photographs in books.
  • Discuss resource handouts for inspiration and information including technical books, exhibition catalogs, book fairs, websites, special collections & databases, book art centers, suppliers & supplies.

All images copyright Susan kae Grant.

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Instructor: Susan kae Grant

Susan kae Grant is an inventive and influential artist, mentor, and educator. Her innovative studio practice and distinct personal vision represent one of the mediums more sustained and recognizable contributions to fabricated photography and book art. She has lectured and exhibited throughout the United States and internationally, from Spain to Japan.

Public collections representing her work include George Eastman Museum; J. Paul Getty Museum; Minneapolis Institute of Art; Tokyo Photographic Museum; Victoria & Albert National Art Library; Center for Creative Photography; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Conduit Gallery, Dallas, Texas represents her work.

Grant holds an MFA and BS in photography and book arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and teaches workshops at The International Center of Photography, Los Angeles Center for Photography; La Luz Workshops; and Santa Fe Workshops. From 1981-2017 she served as Head of Photography & Book Arts at Texas Woman’s University and was named Cornaro Professor of Art Emerita in 2018. Selected teaching awards include: Honored Educator Award, Society for Photographic Education (2014); Honored Educator Award, SPE South Central Region (2007); and “The Excellence in Photographic Teaching Award”, Center (2003).

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