Artist’s Books: Chapter 12 - Taking Issue

Art reflects its time and offers us a window into the major issues of the day. In this exhibition, sixty-one book artists from throughout the United States present original works that address some of their most serious concerns.

Drawing on their own personal experiences or recording those endured by others, these artists create powerful and resonant pieces that deal with war (including its damaging effects on all participants); with gun violence; with sexual assault, incest, and domestic abuse; with ‘therapies’ for women that included institutionalization and prefrontal lobotomies; and with historic injustices and their repercussions.

Artists in this exhibition also deal with the terrible effects of nuclear testing on native populations; with environmental dangers and potential catastrophes; with toxic materials throughout our world; with the vital importance of access to real and natural foods; with the extinction of diverse species; with the changing roles and rights of women throughout history; with bigotry and prejudice; and with the recognition that ‘words matter’ and that the demeaning terms used throughout history to insult and disparage others have a lasting effect in the world.

The objectives of these artists are to attract our attention, to help us remember and learn from the past, and to encourage us to take action in the hope of improving our present and securing our future.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website