Introduction to Book Binding

3 units

This course will serve as an introduction to the book as an artifact of material culture. A variety of traditional and non-traditional book structures will be explored. Students will learn from historical approaches to constructing the codex form, including the single-signature pamphlet, the multi-signature case binding, the coptic, and the medieval long stitch. Students will learn Japanese binding and its many variations. Several contemporary variations will be introduced, including the tunnel, the flag book, the accordion, and the carousel. Students will explore the visual book using found imagery and photocopy transfers, and they will produce a variety of decorated papers to be used in their bindings.