Cantor Arts Center Showcases Books as Works of Art

In this age of e-books, there are still talented people who make their own paper, set their type and bind their books into works of art. Examples of the books produced by five California presses are now on display at the Cantor Arts Center.

Cantor’s exhibit, “The Art of the Book: Five Contemporary Presses,” opened Wednesday.

“This project started with ideas brewing at Stanford for many years," said Tom Seligman, the museum’s director.  He added that the museum tries to find ways to collaborate with other areas of the university. Like “Illustrated Title Pages: 1500-1600” which opened on April 13, “The Art of the Book” draws its works from the Stanford Library Special Collections Department.

 “During the last 50 years, the conception and production of the book has evolved into an art form that exceeds all former standards for the book as object," said Roberto G. Trujillo, the library's head of special collections. Book arts have become a mature medium and California artists and printers are leaders in the fine arts of the book.”

Trujillo was credited by exhibit curator Peter Koch for his support in making possible the illustrated catalogue which accompanies the exhibit. Koch, who is a printer and owner of Peter Koch Printers in Berkeley, introduced his colleagues whose books comprise the exhibit: Carolee Campbell of Ninja Press in Sherman Oaks, Felicia Rice of Moving Parts Press in Santa Cruz, Peggy Gotthold and Lawrence Van Velzer of Foolscap Press in Santa Cruz and Harry and Sandra Reese of Turkey Press in Isla Vista.

These presses are independent and generally produce one book at a time. Usually they sell fewer than 100 copies of each book. They are among 150 presses worldwide who exhibit their works at the Codex Book Fair in Berkeley in February of each odd-numbered year.

Koch said that displaying these books in showcases doesn’t really do them justice; it’s better to go to the library where you can request them and actually hold them. Similarly he described e-books as “sensually deprived."

The exhibit will run until August 28, 2011. The Cantor Arts Center is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm and to 8 pm on Thursday. Docent tours of “The Art of the Book” are held on Thursdays at 2:15 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm. Admission is free to the museum and docent tours.

During the week of July 25-29 the museum will hold morning classes in making family books and comic books. Call 650-723-3469 for information.

Family films will be shown on Fridays, July 15 and 29 at 8:30 pm. People are encouraged to bring picnics, blankets and lawn chairs.

There will be a free workshop, “Perusing the Printed Page” on Saturday, July 30 from 1 to 4 pm in which three experts will discuss the exhibitions.