Sally Alatalo

In this generative seminar we examine the materials, forms and structures of books as they have developed historically and cross-culturally, and their influence on the fields of contemporary artists¿ books, small-press publishing, and related literary and studio practices. We explore and construct models of pamphlet, side stitch, accordion, codex and case bindings as means to develop both practical craft skills and conceptual acuity. Weekly exercises and tutorials attend to the application of these skills to individual or collective projects. Field trips to local archives, such as the Joan Flasch Artists' Books Collection, the Ryerson Library and the Newberry Library augment our study. Coursework includes completion of weekly exercises, an annotated bibliography of historic and contemporary artist book references, and a final project. This course requires commitment to an asynchronous studio practice that utilizes the Writing Program's BookLab outside of class time.

In this intensive studio seminar we study and practice the formats and functions of books that accommodate accruals of texts, images or even objects; from the personal chronicles of journals and scrapbooks to the material collections of specimen books and albums. We supplement readings from writers, historians, sociologists, designers and craft practitioners with visits to local collections such as the Newberry Library and the Joan Flasch Artists' Books Collection to view and study historic albums, logbooks, scrapbooks and related artists' books. Students each create their own repository for a specific use, for example: a research archive to support a connected project; a narrative of threaded fragments; a place to house a collection.

Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.

Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.