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Structure of the Visual Book
This instructive guide to the concepts of visual books presents strategies for organizing pictures in the book format. This is a book on concepts, not how to bind.
It is an approach that conceives the book as a visual object not by imposed decoration, but through understanding and applying structure. Group, series and sequence are elaborately discussed and diagrammed.
Composing the book, as well as the pictures it contains, creates pacing in turning pages. Just as poetry and cinema are conceived in time, so is a book.
Chapters include "The Book as physical object," "Display," "Picture Relationships," "Movement," "Structure and Composition."
It is an approach that conceives the book as a visual object not by imposed decoration, but through understanding and applying structure. Group, series and sequence are elaborately discussed and diagrammed.
Composing the book, as well as the pictures it contains, creates pacing in turning pages. Just as poetry and cinema are conceived in time, so is a book.
Chapters include "The Book as physical object," "Display," "Picture Relationships," "Movement," "Structure and Composition."
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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129 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 9, 2012
Although not required, I decided to read this while taking a bookmaking class this semester. I'm glad I did, because it has given me plenty to think about while I conceptualize and construct my final project. Smith lays out the possibilities of the "visual book" in such a clear and well-illustrated way. There are many pictures as well as diagrams and illustrations demonstrating Smith's concepts.
It does get a little tedious about 3/4 of the way in. I think Smith gets waaaay too caught up in defining series vs. sequence vs. group. It's something he actually touches on in a few chapters, and it gets to be really mind-numbing and drawn-out. However, that was the worst of it...most of what he had to say was very inspiring and eye-opening. I think the take-away from this book is that content and structure must be integrated completely when thinking about and creating a book. The two should feed into and support one another. The book format itself provides many unique opportunities for creating visual space that can't be created in other mediums; rather than trying to "fit" content into a book, the content should express itself using the book structure.
Anyway, I thought this was a great read for the most part and would highly recommend it to anyone hoping to gain a deeper understanding of artist's books. Do note, however, that this is NOT a how-to book in the sense of "how-to make/bind a book"...you'll be disappointed if that's what you're expecting. Although, Smith has published a few of that sort, too :)
It does get a little tedious about 3/4 of the way in. I think Smith gets waaaay too caught up in defining series vs. sequence vs. group. It's something he actually touches on in a few chapters, and it gets to be really mind-numbing and drawn-out. However, that was the worst of it...most of what he had to say was very inspiring and eye-opening. I think the take-away from this book is that content and structure must be integrated completely when thinking about and creating a book. The two should feed into and support one another. The book format itself provides many unique opportunities for creating visual space that can't be created in other mediums; rather than trying to "fit" content into a book, the content should express itself using the book structure.
Anyway, I thought this was a great read for the most part and would highly recommend it to anyone hoping to gain a deeper understanding of artist's books. Do note, however, that this is NOT a how-to book in the sense of "how-to make/bind a book"...you'll be disappointed if that's what you're expecting. Although, Smith has published a few of that sort, too :)
March 21, 2017
This book is recommended bibliography when researching about the book as a medium. Keith Smith brings deep and useful concepts to consider when planning and making books. BUT this book lacks an editor. Ideas are disorganized, his writing sometimes gets way to personal, he is constantly mentioning his own books and projects and inner thoughts and super crazy ideas driving away from the already very interesting look and knowledge through experience he has.
Another disturbing fact about this book is the way some images are in low resolution. In a book about visual books this just shouldn't happen. The book talks about all these formal details that complete an idea in the book form, but this book itself doesn't consider such details. The paper is cheap and again, lots of images are in low resolution.
Another disturbing fact about this book is the way some images are in low resolution. In a book about visual books this just shouldn't happen. The book talks about all these formal details that complete an idea in the book form, but this book itself doesn't consider such details. The paper is cheap and again, lots of images are in low resolution.
May 6, 2018
Nothing really new here, and the black and white printing leaves the experience of the art flat and static.
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January 4, 2022i want read
October 6, 2014
Keith Smith self proclaims his book, Structure of the Visual Book, to be more of an“autobiography as it is a book-about-books” (15). Smith uses his own bookmaking experiences and experiments as templates for his readers to understand, and even create their own artists’ books. To Smith, one of the most basic way humans create meaning out of objects is through the object’s delivery of information. He uses the example of a person speaking and considers the tone and inflection of a person’s speech to be just as, if not more, important as the actual words that are being spoken. Like speech, the way in which a book’s content is presented, or its structure, must be considered when contemplating and making sense of the book’s meaning. Smith’s close attention to every detail of an artist book (from the content, to the order of the content, to the weight of the paper) naturally leads him to consider the deliberate design choices that were made by the author/artist, along with each possible connotations the book’s pieces.
Although he provides a multitude of concepts to consider, Smith’s writing is distracting, especially for a novice to book art or for a person who is not emerged in the avant garde and experimental art. Furthermore, his examples can be somewhat ineffective for a reader who is not already acquainted with the types of art he uses. And his tone while reflecting on art and pictures is overly whimsical. A particular example of this is when he has been writing about the books he has been working on for the past two years and how book ideas come to him: “I would just pick up the book and hold it, and start to think” (20). Here, the drama of Smith starting dreamily at a book and discovering a new book idea overshadows the more practical uses of his thesis. He does this again when he writes, “when I say, ‘I see…’ it is not with passing exclamation, but a statement of triumph. That is why I sign my name with an (eye symbol) rather than an i. (24). Although Smith does provide a warning that his book is in a sense autobiographical, rather personal interjections do little to further the reader’s understanding of artists’ book structures.
Even with Smith’s narrow focus, Structure of the Visual Book is helpful in breaking readers out of the idea of simulated vision which may allow them to be more in-tuned with their creativity. Smith’s thesis comes full circle when he writes “The finished book is a corpse…It is a sequence. In its simplicity, it is complex, and, becomes all things—as it approaches the clarity of a blank book” (402). In a rather interesting way, Smith reminds his readers that the many simple pieces are what give an artists’ book the complexity we crave. However, it is only by considering each of these simple pieces that one can reach the point of clear understanding.
Although he provides a multitude of concepts to consider, Smith’s writing is distracting, especially for a novice to book art or for a person who is not emerged in the avant garde and experimental art. Furthermore, his examples can be somewhat ineffective for a reader who is not already acquainted with the types of art he uses. And his tone while reflecting on art and pictures is overly whimsical. A particular example of this is when he has been writing about the books he has been working on for the past two years and how book ideas come to him: “I would just pick up the book and hold it, and start to think” (20). Here, the drama of Smith starting dreamily at a book and discovering a new book idea overshadows the more practical uses of his thesis. He does this again when he writes, “when I say, ‘I see…’ it is not with passing exclamation, but a statement of triumph. That is why I sign my name with an (eye symbol) rather than an i. (24). Although Smith does provide a warning that his book is in a sense autobiographical, rather personal interjections do little to further the reader’s understanding of artists’ book structures.
Even with Smith’s narrow focus, Structure of the Visual Book is helpful in breaking readers out of the idea of simulated vision which may allow them to be more in-tuned with their creativity. Smith’s thesis comes full circle when he writes “The finished book is a corpse…It is a sequence. In its simplicity, it is complex, and, becomes all things—as it approaches the clarity of a blank book” (402). In a rather interesting way, Smith reminds his readers that the many simple pieces are what give an artists’ book the complexity we crave. However, it is only by considering each of these simple pieces that one can reach the point of clear understanding.
December 30, 2016
Fascinating discussion with numerous photographs analyzing and and examining the effectiveness of books with illustrations—art books primarily— due to their physical construction and placement of parts, including amassing of words/wordless, or relatively wordless, space; the differences between "group," "series," and "sequence" in presentation of pictures in a book; different physical formats of books, e.g. "French doors," triangular books, different kinds and materials involved in binding and pages.
February 24, 2020
I read this for a book-making project in my 2D art class. I am so inspired by all the designs introduced in this book! It talks about many elements that could elevate contents in a 2D book to a 3D experience.
October 25, 2007
Very good academic book on book binding.
January 5, 2008
Keep going back to this when thinking about how to sequence images. New edition looks great but I'm too broke to get it right now.
March 15, 2009
Would have given it a 5 star, but I need to finish it first.
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February 19, 2016741.64 S653s 2003
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews