The Best Kept Secret: 200 Years of Blooks
Why, apart from its contents, is the physical book such a compelling and beloved object? My obsessive interest in books and in objects made in emulation of them began years ago with this question, and led to a comprehensive study of objects made in book form, from the humblest item to rare works of art. I refer to these objects by the convenient term blooks, a contraction of “book-look”. The goal of my studies and collecting endeavors is to determine the scope of the subject through the examination of thematic trends, makers and manufacturers, and object histories; to contextualize blooks within the realms of book history, material culture, and the arts; and to introduce the most interesting blook structures to artists and makers—Mindell Dubansky, Curator.