Thursday, June 02, 2011

Technical Integrity

"Though I don't believe in a standard of craft as an absolute criteria in bookmaking, the ignorance (or ignoring) of basic structural principles can undermine a book which might otherwise be engaging and successful."

Johanna Drucker
The Century of Artists' Books, copyright 1994/2004


I probably do get more hung-up on the technical execution of a design than is always necessary, but I believe it has its importance. (And it ties into my general aesthetic of precision and formality.) Surely you've seen quilts that had so much going for them design-wise but were so poorly put together as to distract and detract from the overall impact. I think Drucker has put it so well here, and it is an important lesson all artists must consider.

No pictures today - it is another dark and dreary day, and the peonies are keeping the hoods of their parkas up...

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