Book Art (1978-2006)
Artists’ Books and Framed Book Pages
Letterpress, Paper, Silver-prints

Whether bound, sewn, or printed, all except one of Grant's artists’ books are made by hand. The use of affective materials and meticulous handwork in combination with photographic images and texts makes her books unique. The editions are small which allows for incorporating materials that otherwise would be difficult to mass-produce.

In describing Grant’s creative process in her artists’ books, Nancy Whitenack of Conduit Gallery wrote,

“Each book is the culmination of several years of research, design and construction before the edition is printed. The books, while concerned with topics related to her photographs, detour into the use of exotic materials that are provocative and symbolic, giving tactile significance to the work. Some books are playful, such as the trio of flip books, The Wink, The Kiss, The Slap. Each successfully entices and beguiles the viewer with fur-bound covers and the allure of graphic titles. Vestiges and Radioactive Substances however, press the viewer to the harsh, clinical content within by way of their materiality, symbolism and repeated text. In Radioactive Substances, timeless feminist issues are examined through the life of Marie Curie. It chronicles her life and hardships as a scientist, wife and mother. Portrait of an Artist and her Mother considers the same subject but through a much more personal lens: comparative photographs of the artist and her mother are a vehicle for addressing aging and relationships.

Both Radioactive Substances and Portrait of an Artist and her Mother are handled as documentaries, yet invoke sympathetic feeling for the subjects. Morality, identity and history are motifs that cycle through these books, balancing form with content and eliciting emotional response.” (Whitenack 2007, p. 29)

For a complete description of each book, permanent collections and Grant’s background in Book Arts, navigate to the “Book Arts” tab on the main menu.

Acquisitions: Contact Conduit Gallery
Exhibitions: Contact Susan kae Grant