Artists' Books

A collection of nearly 100 items made by an international selection of women artists. Included are artists books acquired from the Women's Studio Workshop based in Rochester, New York, USA and Weproductions based in the UK. The collection has since been added to with donations and review copies and includes publications from the UK based publishers Bookworks. Other items include exhibition announcements in the form of bagged objects and a pizza box. Topics range from autobiography to travel to child abuse. All items are either unique or limited printruns.

The Women's Art Library (also known as MAKE) was originally set up as the Women Artists slide Library in London in the late 1970s. This initiative from feminist artists' developed into an arts organisation publishing catalogues, books and a magazine from 1983-2002. During this time women artists deposited unique documentation on their work and created personal files that functioned together as an alternative public space. Thousands of artists from around the world are represented in some form in this collection. In 2004 the collection became part of Goldsmiths Library Special Collections. At Goldsmiths The Women's Art Library (MAKE) continued to collect slides, artist statements, exhibition ephemera, catalogues, and press material in addition to audio and videotapes, photographs and CD-Roms. As at 2009 they continued to welcome donations from women artists to help develop this collection.

Access for visitors is by appointment only.

List available at the Library (database)

Description by Althea Greenan, MAKE 2002. Submitted to the Archives Hub as part of Genesis 2009 Project.

This collection was begun as a result of purchases made by the organisation for an exhibition of artists books by women curated by Cathy Courtney and shown at the London Artists Book Fair in 1996.