The Best of Both Worlds: Finely Printed Livres D'Artistes, 1910-2010 - Hardcover

This is a superb celebration of 70-plus of the finest-looking books ever to have seen the light of day. Artists' books always contain art, and the art often serves as the primary reason for the book's existence. And the history of bookmaking, since the "Gutenberg Bible", contains examples of books whose typographic and design excellence is immediately apparent and beyond dispute, but which contain no art. Occasionally, the two worlds intersect and overlap, resulting in books as noteworthy for their artwork as their printing, as praiseworthy for their artistic content as their design and manufacturing. "The Best of Both Worlds" is a lavishly illustrated volume which explores more than 70 books that represent the 'best of both worlds'. This title features books whose pages reveal the best graphic work of the past century; artwork from the hands of masters as diverse as Braque, Hockney, Matisse, and Picasso - coupled with memorable texts from some of the world's best designers, printers, and binders.

Artists' books always contain art, and the art often serves as the primary reason for the book's existence. And the history of bookmaking, since the Gutenberg Bible, contains examples of books whose typographic and design excellence is immediately apparent and beyond dispute, but which contain no art. Occasionally, the two worlds intersect and overlap, resulting in books as noteworthy for their artwork as their printing, as praiseworthy for their artistic content as their design and manufacturing. In this full color selection of 77 books from Europe and the Americas, the authors select, and comment upon the "best of both worlds": books whose pages reveal the best graphic work of the past century; artwork from the hands of masters as diverse as Braque, Calder, Dine, Hockney, Mapplethorpe, Matisse, Maillol, Picasso, Oldenburg and Rivers coupled with memorable texts orchestrated by the best designers, printers, and binders.

At once a visual feast and a provocative tour through well- and lesser-known titles, the primary thesis this book suggests is that one world does not have to be sacrificed at the expense of the other. In the hands of expert collaborators, a book can incorporate the best of both worlds the artistic and the bibliophilic to provide a vehicle that both exalts the contents and celebrates the messages.