Feature Articles


January Issue 2000

Why Make Books? We Thought You'd Never Ask

People have been making books for hundreds of years in all shapes, sizes, materials, and colors. Thanks to Gutenberg and his invention of movable type by 1455 we had the first printed book, a Bible. Now we have thousands of books and other printed material available right at our fingertips everyday. But imagine how it was before - think of beautiful old prayer books and of monks laboring for hours hand lettering and illuminating biblical texts on vellum and binding them in handsome leather cases.

Despite the advances in mass production there are still people who make books by hand because books can do so many different things. You may want a book in which to keep your most secret thoughts or, as a place to collect a series of images or photographs. Making a book can also be a way to enter an imaginary world, relate a narrative, hold a collection of objects or ideas, or, as a way to do all of these things at once. Books can be beautiful, fun, and incredibly rewarding, especially when they're made by hand.

There has been a genuine renaissance in hand book making in the last 10 - 15 years. While most of this activity has been centered in the large cities of the Northeast, it has intermittently and progressively made its way to Charleston. Here, various teachers and artists are passing along what they know of the traditional and non-traditional structures. Although bookbinding is an ancient craft practiced by master craftsmen, in this revival the craft is practiced by whomever has an interest in producing hand bound books for whatever reason (artists, writers, poets, calligraphers, moms and dads, etc.).

Because of this rekindling of interest, Print Studio South, Inc. in downtown Charleston, SC will host a Basic Bookbinding Workshop taught by artist Kristi Ryba. The workshop will begin Sat. & Sun., Jan. 15 & 16, am - 4 pm, and continue the following weekend Sat. and Sun., Jan. 23 and 24, 10am - 4pm. Space is limited to 10 persons. This will be PSS Inc.'s first in a series of workshops related to bookbinding.

Johns Island, SC painter and printmaker Kristi Ryba has been making hand bound books for the last 10 years. Ryba combines printmaking and painting with book binding to create one of a kind and small edition books. This summer Ryba was awarded a SC Arts Commission Project Grant to attend an intensive bookbinding class and study with Melissa Jay Craig at Columbia College's Chicago Center for Book and Paper Art. As part of the SCAC Project Grant Ryba is also working with a small group of Haut Gap Middle School students teaching them hand bookbinding skills, By working with Ryba, the school's Media Specialist, Creative Writing Teacher and Art Teacher, each student will produce one or more hand bound "artist's books".

Ryba attended The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and received her Bachelor of Arts from The College of Charleston with a concentration in Printmaking. She has studied at Studio Camnitzer in Lucca, Italy and at the Vermont Studio School as well as travelling and studying independently abroad.

Ryba's Jan. workshop at Print Studio South will focus on basic bookbinding skills and will introduce the tools and techniques of hand bookbinding. You will learn some things about paper, cloth, boards, adhesives, and methods of folding, stitching and gluing. Students will construct a variety of book structures beginning with a single sheet of paper and progressing to a multi section hard cover blank book. From there the sky is the limit and each student will be encouraged to adapt these structures to their own tastes and ideas for inclusion in Print Studio South's "Art of the Book" exhibit at the Charleston County library in April 2000.

Cost of the Workshop is $160 for members and $200 non-members + $35 materials fee. For more information and a supply list call Print Studio South, Inc. 843/722-0697 or Kristi Ryba 843/559-9867, (fax) 843/559-2931, or e-mail at (ArtistsBooks@aol.com).

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