{"id":3184,"date":"2024-01-10T13:20:51","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T18:20:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/?p=3184"},"modified":"2025-07-30T13:01:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T17:01:00","slug":"lure-of-the-flame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/2024\/01\/10\/lure-of-the-flame\/","title":{"rendered":"Let It Burn: Artists\u2019 Books and the Lure of the Flame"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>By Miriam Intrator, Special Collections Librarian<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Throughout the fall 2023 semester, the exhibit, Let It Burn: Artists&#8217; Books and the Lure of the Flame was on display in Alden Library.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">* artists\u2019 book = book as art object, or, art object as book *&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/jToCmR8cVNk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video<\/a> accompanying the exhibit demonstrates the books in motion. Part of the meaning and intent behind artists\u2019 books is communicated through their materiality, form, format, and structure, how they are used and read. The video provides a glimpse into that experience. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:360}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Let it Burn: Artists&#039; Books and the Lure of the Flame\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jToCmR8cVNk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Video for the <span data-contrast=\"auto\">Let It Burn: Artists&#8217; Books and the Lure of the Flame<\/span> exhibit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_9980-scaled.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_9980-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"View of one display case for the exhibit, Let It Burn: Artists\u2019 Books and the Lure of the Flame\" class=\"wp-image-3189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_9980-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_9980-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_9980-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_9980-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_9980-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_9980-1320x990.jpeg 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">View of one display case for the exhibit, Let It Burn: Artists\u2019 Books and the Lure of the Flame<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As long as humans have been documenting information, others have sought to destroy, ban, censor, or otherwise control that information. The situation today is no different. Challenging information is increasingly obfuscated, concealed, or withheld to suit repressive forces in our society. Perhaps this long, tense history of information creation and destruction helps to explain the lure of the flame for the creators of artists\u2019 books. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:360}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8622-scaled.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8622-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"The tunnel book 17927 by Jaime Lynn Shaefer (2015)\" class=\"wp-image-3194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8622-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8622-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8622-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8622-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8622-1320x1760.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8622-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The tunnel book <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991000616709708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">17927<\/a><\/em> by Jaime Lynn Shaefer (2015)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8630-scaled.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8630-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"The unique (only this copy exists) artists' book Inventory: March 27, 1911 by Maureen Cummins (1999)\" class=\"wp-image-3192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8630-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8630-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8630-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8630-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8630-1320x1760.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8630-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The unique (only this copy exists) artists&#8217; book <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991023330609708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Inventory: March 27, 1911<\/a><\/em> by Maureen Cummins (1999)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8623-scaled.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8623-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"The miniature Matchbox Paper Mill by Brian Queen (2017)\" class=\"wp-image-3193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8623-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8623-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8623-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8623-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8623-1320x1760.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_8623-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The miniature <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991015357769708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Matchbox Paper Mill<\/a><\/em> by Brian Queen (2017)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This exhibit explored the theme of the flame, of matches, burning, heat, light, and shadow, through the lens of artists\u2019 books held in the Fine Arts Library&nbsp; and the Rare Book Collection. Through the inclusion of flammable elements like matches, some of the books even play with the potential means of their own destruction. It is our hope that the books on display both challenge and inspire us all to let everybody read, think, and decide for themselves.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:360}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/jToCmR8cVNk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">video <\/a>remains available and any of the books can be requested via the Mahn Center&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/ohiou.libanswers.com\/form?queue_id=4866&amp;_gl=1*1r74em4*_ga*MTMxNjkwOTE1MS4xNjk4MDYzMzgx*_ga_JR43SKW92E*MTcwMzA5MTc4Mi4xMjcuMS4xNzAzMDkzNzUxLjYwLjAuMA..\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">research request form<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alphabetical checklist of items in the exhibit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tauba Auerbach, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991006045139708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Z Helix<\/a><\/em>, 2014<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tauba Auerbach, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991013875239708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Z Helix rolling paper<\/a><\/em>s, 2015<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Alisa Banks, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991004912189708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Emergence<\/a><\/em>, 2006<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ray Bradbury, &#8220;The Fireman,&#8221; in <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991022433469708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine<\/a><\/em>, February 1951<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ray Bradbury, with illustrations by Ralph Steadman, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/l50iee\/alma991015412629708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fahrenheit 451<\/a><\/em>, 2005<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maureen Cummins, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991023330609708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Inventory: March 27, 1911<\/a><\/em>, 1999<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shannon Davis, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991012600239708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Controlled Burn<\/a><\/em>, 2022<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Matt Eich, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991033379589708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Invisible Yoke<\/a><\/em>, 2014<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Elsi Vassdal Ellis, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991001804799708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Al-Mutanabbi I<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/alice.library.ohio.edu:443\/record=b5914690~S7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">: Memoria del tiempo, memoria del fuego<\/a><\/em>, 2011<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Casey Gardner, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991034420359708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wonder Might Ignite<\/a><\/em>, 2012<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Helen Hiebert, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991009704079708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Pop-Up Hand Shadow Book<\/a><\/em>, 2012<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Patricia Nguyen, <a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991007197639708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Book of Shadows: Building in Search of Forever<\/em><\/a>, 2023<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sara Parkel, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991031564879708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Even the Birds Were on Fire<\/a><\/em>, 2001<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Brian Queen, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991015357769708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Matchbox Paper Mill<\/a><\/em>, 2017<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thomas Sauvin, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991012808779708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Until Death Do Us Part<\/a><\/em>, 2023<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jaime Lynn Shaefer, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991000616709708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">17927<\/a><\/em>, 2015<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jessica Spring, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/l50iee\/alma991031400289708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">An Inflammatory Guide<\/a><\/em>, 2012<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Virginia Arts of the Book Center, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991006447789708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Notions<\/a><\/em>, 2014<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Philip Zimmerman, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiolink-ou.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01OHIOLINK_OU\/kl42u0\/alma991031400329708516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Celsius 233<\/a><\/em>, 2015<br> <table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 191pt;\" width=\"254\"> <tbody> <tr style=\"height: 15.0pt;\"> <td class=\"xl21\" style=\"width: 191pt; height: 15.0pt;\" width=\"254\" height=\"20\">\u00a0<\/td> <\/tr> <\/tbody> <\/table><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Miriam Intrator, Special Collections Librarian Throughout the fall 2023 semester, the exhibit, Let It Burn: Artists&#8217; Books and the Lure of the Flame was on display in Alden Library. * artists\u2019 book = book as art object, or, art object as book *&nbsp; A video accompanying the exhibit demonstrates the books in motion. Part [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3192,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19,43],"tags":[135],"class_list":["post-3184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exhibits","category-rare-books","tag-artists-books-2"],"modified_by":"Miriam Intrator","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3184"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5085,"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3184\/revisions\/5085"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}