Novel ideas

Friday, April 26, 1996

Books made of hair? Too strange? Try paper plates… No matter
how odd the volumes, items at the Artists’ Books Collection areBy
Toni Dimayuga

Daily Bruin Contributor

Few people know of the secret museum hidden in the Arts Library.
Nestled in a corner is a small, caged, cramped room that houses
what some may consider art, and others may see as just plain
strange.

This little room is the resting place of the Artists’ Books
Collection, which has been at UCLA since 1985.

Artists have been using books as an art medium since the 1960s.
These books defy the conventional, placing their emphasis on
appearance rather than content.

What sets them apart from regular books is that artists’ books
are designed to catch the eye and hold a reader’s attention,
explained Raymond Reece, librarian in the Arts Library.

"Book artists … make it so you can’t ignore them," Reece
said.

The idea for the Artists’ Books Collection can be traced back to
the 1980s, when Ray Brown, former chair of the art department, and
Barbara Drucker, an associate professor in art, were interested in
creating an accumulation of artists’ books. Drucker expressed her
beliefs in the appeal of artists’ books over other forms of art
such as paintings.

"You can develop your idea through a series of images … books
are more like film. The narrative and content can develop over
time," Drucker said.

With the help of Joyce Pellerano Ludmer, former head of the Arts
Library, they were able to acquire about 2,200 books from Judith
Hoffberg, a local collector of artists’ books. Hoffberg is also
editor and publisher of "Umbrella," a newsletter about artists’
publications and artists’ books.

"It became a wonderful way to accumulate art without spending a
great deal of money," Hoffberg said.

Hoffberg started her collection during the 1960s. She explained
that the appearance and form of the book were what first caught her
attention. She also likened her collection to "portable
museums."

Hoffberg explained that she decided to turn her collection over
to UCLA because she believed that it would be properly cared for,
that the staff would appreciate and respect the books and that it
was a payback for the education she received.

"I’m just very fortunate to know they will be in one place," she
said.

Over the years, Hoffberg has continued to make contributions to
the collection. Last year, Hoffberg gave the library her second
major offering of about 1,500 books.

Robert Heinecken, a retired photography professor in the art
department, made an additional contribution to the Arts Library the
same year.

Hoffberg explained that she doesn’t believe the books should be
viewed under glass cases.

"Unless you use your hand, eye and heart, you really don’t have
the experience," Hoffberg said.

Artists employed a wide breadth of materials to create their
books, ranging from wood, aluminum, plastic and even hair. At times
the books don’t resemble books at all.

"The Book of Hair," by Joni Mabe, is made of human hair pressed
in homemade paper. The book is bound with hair, and is contained in
a wooden box lined with hair, a comb, a hair net and broken pieces
of a wishbone. There is only one page of text, and it reads: "This
is dedicated to all the bald-headed men in Athens who were unable
to participate in this book."

The books come in all shapes and sizes. One book, titled
"Snacks," is printed on a set of small paper plates. Another book,
Cam Slocum’s "Quest for the Truth," is a hollowed out book ­
with "stuff inside," as Reece puts it, ­ encased in wood
planks with screws. Another book, titled "Memory Loss," takes the
form of a venetian blind.

Some of the collection’s books face controversial issues head
on. Two folding accordion-style books ­ titled "Drugs, Sex,
and Violence" and "Captain America" ­. are collages made from
comic book and magazine cut outs.

One book showcases a comic book cut out of a woman, afraid she
might get pregnant, to whom her lover replies "I’ll pull out before
I shoot."

Modified books also inhabit the collection, for which the artist
took an ordinary book and transformed it into a work of art. The
pages of Buzz Spector’s "Der Englische Essay" were torn into a
wedge shape.

Of the few viewers who trickle in and out of the collection, a
majority are scholars who visit it for their research.

Various measures have been taken over the years to promote the
collection, which is divided into the Judith A. Hoffberg Collection
of Book Works and Artists’ Publications, the Robert Heinecken
collection and the Arts Library Artists’ Books Collection.

At one point the Arts Library held a series of exhibitions, each
about six weeks long and curated by Drucker. That program lasted
for almost 10 years.

In 1985, the department of art, design and art history offered
classes in bookmaking, using artists’ books as inspiration. Some of
the artists themselves, such as Specter, General Idea (a group of
three artists) Simon Toparovsky and Slocum, have taught courses in
book art.

Hoffberg explained that will never grow tired of collecting
artists’ books.

"There’s always surprises left ­ the ‘aha!’ or ‘wow!’ …
element artists have up their sleeve," Hoffberg said.

FRED HE/Daily Bruin

Arts librarian Raymond Reece explains how some books don’t
represent books at all.FRED HE/Daily Bruin

The Arts Library houses the Artists’ Books Collection,
established in 1985.