Franklin Furnace

Artists’ Books Discussion at Queens College (1985)

In Artists’ Books Discussion at Queens College (1985), Martha Wilson presents a selection of artists’ books from Franklin Furnace’s archive. Wilson discusses the importance of collecting artists’ books as other cultural institutions have failed to acquire such materials. She traces the history of artists’ books from Futurism, Conceptual Art, and Fluxus, defining the medium at the intersection of art and literature. Wilson discusses the visual elements of artists’ books and notes how the book page becomes a performative space for language. Later, she is joined by Franklin Furnace Archivist Matthew Hogan, who presents artists’ books from the organization’s collection. This discussion featured artists’ books by Charles Henri Ford, Kevin Osborn, Ed Ruscha, Don Celender, Mark Berghash, John Baldessari, Eleanor Antin, Scott Hyde, Warren Lehrer, Jessie Affelder, Sol LeWitt, Dick Higgins, and David Horton, among others.