Blooks: The Art of Books that Aren’t
Book Objects from the Collection of Mindell Dubansky on View at Stevenson Library
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, NY— All over the world, for hundreds of years, people have been making, collecting and presenting book-objects that reflect their devotion and respect for books and each other. There are countless examples; they include cameras, radios, banks, toys, memorials, desk accessories, musical instruments, magic tricks, furniture and jewelry.The Stevenson Library at Bard College is hosting a new exhibit: “Blooks: The Art of Books that Aren’t,” through Sunday, October 30th. The lobby and 2nd floor cases in the library hold selections of “Blooks” from the collection of Mindell Dubansky, on view between the hours of 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 8:30 until 5 p.m. on Friday; and 10 am until 5 p.m. on Saturday. There will be an opening reception on Monday, September 12th from 4 through 6 p.m., and a tour and talk on Friday, September 30th, at 5 p.m.
Blooks embody the same characteristics as books and many take the form of specific titles and book formats. They have been treasured and passed down through the generations, and many thousands reside in private homes, public and private businesses and in museums and libraries around the world. Blooks have been used to celebrate and memorialize important occasions and personal losses and successes, and to serve as reminders of memorable visits to important places, as receptacles to hold valuable and practical objects, and are the source of great amusement.
Mindell Dubansky is head of the Sherman Fairchild Center for Book Conservation at the Thomas J. Watson Library, the main research library of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dubansky writes on the book arts and for over twenty years, has collected and researched the history of book objects, in order to illustrate and interpret their scope and shed light on the human relationship to the book as an object. For more information, please see Dubansky’s blog, About Blooks http://aboutblooks.blogspot.com and the following: ‘Blooks: The Art of Books That Aren’t’ Explores the World of Fake Books” January 28, 2016, New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/29/books/a-secret-in-every-tome-no-text-required.html?_r=0
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September 6, 2016
This event was last updated on 09-06-2016
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