Unfolding Narratives: Writing for Artist Books (Fall 2021)
Event Info
This virtual workshop takes place virtually across three sessions on Monday, November 29; Wednesday, December 1; and Friday, December 3 from 6–8pm ET
- Mon, Nov, 29 6–8pm ET
- Wed, Dec, 1 6–8pm ET
- Fri, Dec 3, 6–8pm ET
About the Workshop:
In this three-session virtual course for creative writers with Instructor Ellen Sheffield, students will learn how to generate text for artist books using conceptual techniques including “text as image,” “text as narrative,” and “text as lyrical expression.”
Participants will also experiment with typographic systems, text itineraries as well as Dada and Surrealist approaches.
Sheffield will demonstrate various artistic methods for rendering text like mark making, transfers, stencils, stamps, rub-on type. Students will have the chance to apply these techniques in a simple accordion-structured book of their own making.
Please note that this course includes writing exercise assignments that students will need to complete outside of class.
Class size is limited to ensure an optimal student-to-teacher ratio. Register now before the remaining spots fill up!
Required Materials:
- 3 x 5 notecards (a dozen)
- Sketchbook or 8″ x 10″ copy paper (two dozen sheets)
- Notebook + writing implements
- Scissors
- UHU glue stick
- Old magazines and newspapers for collage
- 11″ x 17″ medium weight paper (2 sheets)
Optional Materials:
- Alphabet rubber stamps, stencils
- Colored pencils and/or markers
- A few sheets of tracing paper
- Carbon paper
- Read the text in the book Format by Keith A. Smith, 2nd edition, 1995
- Read Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud, 1993
See if any of the materials are available in CBA’s shop–>
About the Instructor
Ellen Sheffield’s works on paper and artist’s books combine text and image in unexpected ways. Her interest in juxtaposing visual techniques—materials, design, mark-making, and printing processes—with written language—essays, poetry, and hybrid writing—drives Sheffield’s collaborations with other artists and writers including Lewis Hyde, Fanny Howe, and Andrew Grace.
Recently Sheffield’s work has explored themes of race and class in Gambier, OH—the rural community she lives in. Her work is informed in part by research into local African American history completed by her husband, Ric Sheffield—a Kenyon College Professor of Sociology.
Sheffield teaches at Kenyon College in the Art Department and runs the studio Unit IV Arts. Her artist’s books have been collected by the Beinecke Library, Yale Collection of American Literature at Yale University, the Ella Strong Denison Library at Scripps College, and many others.
All images courtesy of the instructor.
Class size is limited to ensure an optimal student-to-teacher ratio. Register now before the remaining spots fill up!
