French Literature Reviews - 2026
A. Moeglin-Delcroix, Esthétique du livre d’artiste. Une introduction à l’art contemporain (rehab.)
Art and Visual Culture
Anne Moeglin-Delcroix, Esthétique du livre d’artiste. Une introduction à l’art contemporain. (new ed.)
Marseille: Le Mot et le reste, 2012.
Co-published with the National Library of France (BnF).
400 pages
- 65 euros
- ISBN: 9782360540136
Publisher's overview
In 1963, a striking little book of photographic images entitled Twentysix Gasoline Stations was published. Created by Californian painter Edward Ruscha, it exemplifies a new genre: the artists' book.
Anne Moeglin-Delcroix traces the birth and development of the artists' book in the United States and Europe in connection with the avant-garde movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Because it is inextricably linked to the emergence of so-called "contemporary" art, the artists' book serves as an excellent introduction to understanding both its core issues and the diversity of its expressions. Each chapter examines the artists' book in light of a characteristic movement of contemporary art, which it in turn illuminates. Thus, this *Aesthetics of the Artists' Book* invites reflection on the book as an artistic medium as well as a quest for alternative ways of making art.
This work represents the most comprehensive synthesis of international production to date. Since its first edition in 1997, it has established itself as the definitive study on the subject. For this new edition, the revised and expanded text has been enriched with numerous reproductions. Around 700 books are cataloged within (750 illustrations), featuring works by over 500 artists, including Ruscha, Marcel Broodthaers, Christian Boltanski, Daniel Spoerri, and many others…
Esthétique du livre d’artiste is a highly anticipated publication.
Professor Emerita of the Philosophy of Art, Anne Moeglin-Delcroix long curated the collection of artists' books at the BnF.
The emergence of the artists' book in the 1960s marked a significant shift in contemporary art, challenging traditional definitions of both literature and the visual arts. Unlike traditional illustrated books or deluxe editions, these works were conceived as autonomous artworks, often produced in multiples to bypass the conventional gallery system. By examining pioneering figures like Edward Ruscha and Marcel Broodthaers, this study places the medium within the context of conceptual art and other post-war avant-garde movements. It clarifies how artists utilized the book format to experiment with sequence, photography, and language, redefining the relationship between the viewer and the art object.
This volume is an essential resource for art historians, curators, and students of contemporary art and design. By addressing how the book functions as an independent artistic medium, the text helps readers navigate the complex transition from modern to contemporary artistic practices. Anne Moeglin-Delcroix's extensive experience as a curator at the National Library of France ensures a rigorous, well-documented analysis of international production. Readers will find answers to fundamental questions about the democratization of art, the intersection of text and image, and the enduring relevance of physical publications in a digital age.