Jill Berry Blog

living the creative life

A Book, by any other name

Posted on May 18, 2008 - Filed Under Being an Artist

Sometimes I ask myself what I think I am doing in the book world, or am I really in it? As a book artist I am not traditional, I do not make books with what is ironically called the “Simplified Binding”, especially after having made one with my teacher friend Laura Wait. That title is an oxymoron if there ever was one! I do not make on-layed leather covers, although I have tried that too, with Gabrielle Fox. Taking classes from highly skilled people has been a great challenge to me, and I am very happy with the books I made. That said, I do not expect to make them again. There is a current stream of conversation going about nearly every form of art out there, and especially with calligraphy and book arts, the two areas most applicable to me, about qualification. At what point do we admit our fellows into our fold? If they follow the “rules”? What if, like me, they know the rules and choose to break them? And when, as teachers, do we insist on adherence? My stance has been that you need to know the rules you are breaking. You can only “abstract” something that you understand. This thought occurred to me when I saw an exhibit of Picasso, years ago. The exhibit was set up chronologically, so you wandered through his life and process, finally to arrive at the ambitious purpose of cubism. Whoever set up the exhibit knew what would happen for some of us, and it did: we finally got it. Picasso never could have started with Cubism, he had to make that educated and studied journey through everything that came before it. He learned the quality of his tools and craft with the best teachers and materials available. And then, when he finally knew all the rules, he broke them. I just realized that I appear to be comparing myself to Picasso, holy cow! Wouldn’t that be nice. What I really am is a hybrid, a swimmer of the middle seas, an observer, and perhaps, a bit of a hypocrite. What I want to teach and learn is how to make art with quality craftsmanship and integrity, all the while expressing my innermost arty thoughts and ideas. And, I never want to make a simplified binding again. 

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