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Jarosław Misiak
The artistic book in Poland - new challenges and perspectives
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University of Maria Curie-Skłodowska, Institute of History, Lublin
The Primary School No11 in Chełm
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This article was translated thanks to the grant received from the Open Society Institute
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One of the phenomena characteristic of the contemporary publishing art is undoubtedly its return to the ideas and traditions of the artistic book which refers, simultaneously, both to achievements in publishing and to the fine arts. An attempt at an unambiguous definition of the artistic book meets serious terminological difficulties.
First of all, there is the relationship between the artistic book and a book, as traditionally understood, which assumes a functionality in various spheres, e.g. communication,[1] as well as the relationship between the artistic book and a book as a work of art (an object, installation etc. ).
In this context, the artistic book is a bridge linking the traditional book of wide circulation aimed at a defined audience - its readers, and a book which is seen only as a piece of art, destined for another kind of audience - the art lover.[2]
The artistic book was for many years clearly a neglected field of publishing in Poland. This was mainly caused by the state publishing policy, which was ideologically dominated. A strong orientation towards mass publishing was connected with the elimination of the book directed to a relatively small elite audience - the connoisseurs of the artistic book Only the bibliophilistic publications were intended to fill the resulting gap, but usually they were small volume prints aimed at highlighting some selected aesthetic features of the book. Another reason for the regression of Polish artistic books after 1945 was the lack of suitable publishing centres possessing both modern technical equipment (e.g. for printing or handicrafts) and carefully selected collaborators - specialists from various fields of publishing and artistic craft, as well as artists.
The situation changed diametrically only in the 1980s when the first publishers concentrating exclusively on the artistic book appeared on the Polish publishing map. In 1980 in Łódź, the publishing house "Correspondance des Arts" was founded by Janusz Tryzno, Zdzisław Jaskuła, Zbigniew Janeczek and Janusz Graczykowski. After five years of activity the publishing became a family enterprise run by Jadwiga and Janusz Tryzno, and from some time later with considerable help of their son, Paweł Tryzno. The publishing attainments of "Correspondance des Arts" consists now of 20 publications, from a collection of poems by 13 Polish poets, published in 1980, to Księga Dobrej Wiadomości (The Book of Good News) by Małgorzata Bocheńska, with the design by Jadwiga, Janusz and Paweł Tryzno, published recently in collaboration with Salon 101.[3] The publishing profile of "Correspondance des Arts" is characterised by endless creative pursuits, editorial and artistic experiments reflecting the idea of "correspondence of arts". The books of the Łódz-based publishers are known to artistic book enthusiasts all over the world; they are also included in major Polish and world collections, e.g. the British Library in London, the Library of Congress and the National Library in Washington, the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1994 these publishers were given a prize in the "World's Most Beautiful Books" competition in Leipzig and a prestige award, the Walter Tiemann Preis.
The publications appearing under the "Correspondance des Arts" logo reflect the variety of types and concepts of the artistic book as well as the richness of forms of artistic expression applied in this field of publishing. From books formally close to traditional bibliophilistic publications, often in the form of a brochure or portfolio, the publishers have gradually moved to more daring forms, closer to book objects completely designed by their authors, opposing the established editorial conventions an
d formulae. This tendency is particularly visible in the most recent period of the publisher's activity. The common feature of all "Correspondance des Arts" publications is - besides their small circulation and all items usually signed by the authors themselves - the extremely great attention paid to the aesthetic side of the publications, as well as the integration of the written content and the graphic form of published books. The authors published by "Correspondance des Arts" include, among others: Artur Międzyrzecki, Bruno Schulz, Czesław Miłosz, Craig Raine, Emmett Williams, Rainer Maria Rilke, Zbigniew Brzeziński and Krzysztof Penderecki. The field of interest of the publishers from Łódź also includes a variety of printed matter: portfolios, commemorative books, catalogues and occasional prints, designed and created for renowned companies and public institutions.
Closely connected to the activity of "Correspondance des Arts" is the Museum of the Artistic Book, founded in 1993 and run by the owners of the publishing house. [4] The museum, located in the historic villa of Henryk Grohman at 24 Tymienieckiego Street in Łódź, since its beginnings has been an important centre of activities connected with the artistic book. Interesting artistic projects inspired by the 'book' theme are carried out under the patronage of the museum, e.g. the "Skryptorium" ("Scriptorium") project, showing in a unique way the historical continuity of the book phenomenon; juxtaposing the book in its original, manuscript form and the 21st century world of digital multimedia. The "Skryptorium" exhibition, first shown at the International Book Fair in Frankfurt in 2000, has had so far four presentations and it continues to be highly popular. The latest initiative of the Museum of Artistic Book is a project called "Studnia" ("The Well"), a three-dimensional installation, which is simultaneously the jubilee book of "Correspondance des Arts".[5]
In 1989, in Koszalin, there was founded the Wydawnictwo Artystyczne (Artistic Publishing House) of Urszula Kurtiak and Edward Ley, first called Fundacja Ochrony Książki (Foundation for Protection of the Book).[6] The editorial attainments of these publishers include mainly editions of Polish and world literary classics from different periods and various literary genres. Wydawnictwo Artystyczne of Kurtiak and Ley refers to classical formulae of printing, bookbinding and book illustrations, both in the form of the book and in the materials and techniques (e.g. decorations) used in the process of creating them. Editions of the Koszalin-based publishers are remarkable for their extraordinarily refined design, and richness characteristic of the luxury book, being not only a means of carrying the literary message, but also a valuable object of a sophisticated form . Another feature of Wydawnictwo Artystyczne's publications is the diversity of particular items belonging to one title. The differences usually refer to the writing material, decorative elements and the type of cover (composition and material, e.g. leather, jewellery etc.). Such editorial techniques give the books of Wydawnictwo Artystyczne a particular, individual character.
The publishing attainments of Urszula Kurtiak and Edward Ley already include over twenty unique publications of small, limited circulation, such as exclusive editions of Pismo święte (the Holy Writ) and Henryk Sienkiewicz's Trylogia (Trilogy), Ovid's poem O kosmetyce twarzy pań (On Ladies' Face Cosmetics), edited in an original form of a scroll, selected poems of Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska, Shakespeare's Romeo i Julia (Romeo and Juliet) and Jak wam się podoba (As You Like It), Heinrich Heine's Sonety (Sonnets) and many others. The latest attainments of the publishers include Polish-German editions prepared for the International Book Fair in Frankfurt in 2000.[7] Wydawnictwo Artystyczne from Koszalin refers in its activity to the best traditions of editing and the typographic art, to a lesser extent devoting itself to formal experiments, highlighting the unconventional possibilities of artistic expression allowed by the book form, although, in this field too, Wydawnictwo Artystyczne can be proud of several valuable publications. Particularly remarkable are: Fletnia chińska (The Chinese Flute) by Leopold Staff - a circular book, Katarynka (The Barrel-Organ) by Jacques Prevert - a book in the form of a concertina with no beginning and end, or the above-mentioned Ovid's poem in the form of a scroll.
An important area of the publishing activity of Urszula Kurtiak and Edward Ley is carrying out editing projects for companies, public institutions or private persons. The publisher's projects include small-circulation bibliophilistic editions, commemorative books, chronicles and artistic book covers for the more valuable publications of other publishers (such as a part of the circulation of Codex Aureus Gnesnensis, published by Arkady). There is Muzeum Sztuki Książki (a Museum of Book Art), affiliated to the publishers, they also provide training in the field of artistic bookbinding.
Wydawnictwo Artystyczne Kurtiak i Ley from Koszalin and "Correspondance des Arts" from Łódź are assuring their position in the world of artistic book by participating in numerous international publishing events, book exhibitions and special presentations. These are often made more attractive by additional exhibits about the history and theory of the book, editing, as well as bookbinding and decorative techniques. Polish publishers are also present in international specialist catalogues and magazines (e.g. "Forum Book Art" from Hamburg) and Internet sites devoted to the artistic book.[8]
Although overshadowed by the achievements of the publishers from Lodz and Koszalin, there are other Polish publishing institutions, whose activity in the field of the artistic book is generally occasional, sporadic, or restricted to a particular, strictly defined, book form. This kind of publishing profile is represented by "Quest Art Publishers" from Bielsko-Biala. This publishing house, founded by Dorota and Piotr Kawulok in 1993, specialises in editing graphic art portfolios containing works of artists from Silesia and the Cracow region.[9]
In 1979 in Bydgoszcz, Jacek Soliński and Jan Kaja founded their own gallery, Galeria Autorska (The Author's Gallery. The works published by the gallery include mainly small-volume artistic printed works, in which the ties between the graphic art and the text play a key role; the words and picture complement each other. The concept is expressed particularly in so-called graphic-books, where transparent sheets with the text overlay related illustrations. [10]
Some art galleries are also involved in publishing activity in the field of the artistic book. Particularly noteworthy are Cracow-based galleries: the Gallery of International Centre of Culture, the galleries "Potocka" and "Zderzak" ("Bumper"). These institutions play an important entrepreneurial part in activities in the field of book art, at the same time publishing artistic catalogues and books of well recognised authors who themselves have completely designed them. Similar are the editorial initiatives of the Warsaw District of Związek Polskich Artystów Plastyków (Association of Polish Artists of Fine Art), the organiser of a regular exhibition "Contemporary Polish Book Art", and simultaneously the publisher of catalogues from this exhibition, designed among others by Paweł Tryzno.
A further field of publishing, where the artistic aspirations of publishers have become conspicuous in recent times, is cartographic publishing. The publishers Pergamena utilise the best traditions and experiences of masters of the art of cartography, paying particular attention to preserving the ancient rules and techniques of map publishing (hand finishing, stylised details etc.).[11]
The phenomenon of the artistic book has recently found good conditions in Poland for becoming part of the publishers' consciousness, people involved in the promotion of books and, above all, devotees of the beautiful book. In overcoming the barriers, which for a long time have halted the artistic activity of publishers, many economic, technological and even cultural factors have contributed. Also the presence of the two active publishing centres in Lodz and Koszalin, which have paved the way for smaller publishers on the artistic book market.
On the other hand, the situation of the artistic book in Poland has to be also considered from a broader point of view, that of world tendencies and the development of book art in other countries. An enormous number of publishers and institutions involved in artistic books, whose addresses can be found at specialist Internet sites, reflects the interest in the artistic book and its market, particularly in Western Europe, the USA and Canada. The great backwardness of Polish publishers in this field reflects the more general rules governing the Polish art market after 1945 and the publishing policy, dominated by mass production, usually of low quality.
The beginning of the 21st century has brought new challenges and possibilities in the sphere of global communication and modern information technologies. The quick transfer of information has became a decisive factor in the proper functioning of the human being, public institutions and even entire communities. Besides, other criteria, defining the value of information in the modern world, have appeared: up-to-dateness and accessibility. Meeting such strict demands concerning all information media, the book has begun to lose its primary role as a mass communication medium and a basic source of information. Its function in this field is being taken over by the generally-accessible computer networks, as well as systems for electronic distribution and exchange of data.
Nevertheless, the modern technological reality has also brought new possibilities and perspectives for development for the book. One of them is, without doubt, the growing interest in the artistic book, which can be a good counterbalance to impersonal electronic media. In the age of ubiquitous computerisation and expansion of digital technology, the artistic book enables the reader to have an individualised contact with the literary message, as well as with an object of art. This tendency to a multi-layer contact of the reader with the book is a throw-back to the function of the book in earlier historical periods; at the same time it provides a multimedia potential, actually possible in the form of an artistic book.
Thanks to the activity of such publishers as "Correspondance des Arts" or Wydawnictwo Artystyczne of Urszula Kurtiak and Edward Ley one can also hope that the artistic book market in Poland will fully take advantage of the current prospects for development.
Footnotes
[1] K. Migoń: Nauka o książce. Zarys problematyki. Wrocław 1984, p. 13.
[2] J. Misiak: Współczesna polska książka artystyczna. Ośrodki wydawnicze i dorobek edytorski. [In:] Z książką przez wieki. Pod red. A. Krawczyka. Lublin 2002. S. 357-366.
[3] A detailed list of publications of "Correspondance des Arts" can be found in the in the publishing catalogue: Correspondance des Arts. Book Art Museum. Łódź 2002; See also: The books of Correspondance des Arts: Book Art Museum [on-line] [accessible from the 18th October 2002]. Available on the World Wide Web: http://www.book.art.pl
[4] Book Art Museum [on-line] [accessible from the 18th October 2002]. Accessible on the World Wide Web: http://www.book.art.pl
[5] An outline of the "Studnia" project is presented on the museum home page: Book Art Museum [on-line] [accessible from the 18th 2002]. Accessible in the World Wide Web: http://www.book.art.pl
[6] Wydawnictwo Artystyczne Kurtiak i Ley [on-line]. [accessible from the 18th October 2002]. Accesssible on the World Wide Web: http://www.kurtiak-ley.pl
[7] A detailed list of publications can be found on the publisher's home page: Wydawnictwo Artystyczne Kurtiak i Ley [on-line]. [accessible from the 18th 2002]. Accessible on the World Wide Web: http://www.kurtiak-ley.pl
[8] For example, Book Arts Web; VERHEYEN, Peter D. The Book Arts Web [on-line]. [accessible from the 18th October 2002]. Accessible on the World Wide Web: http://www.philobiblon.com
[9] Quest Art Publishers Wydawnictwo Artystyczne [on-line]. [accessible from the 18th October 2002]. Accessible on the World Wide Web: http://www.questart.com.pl
[10] J. Pluta: Bydgoskie "documenta" Solińskiego i Kaji [In:] Całość i fragmenty. Galeria Autorska Jana Kaji i Jacka Solińskiego 1979-1995. Bydgoszcz 1995 pp.11-16.
[11] Pergamena publishing house [on-line]. [accessible from the 18th October 2002]. Accessible on the World Wide Web: http://www.pergamena.pl
Translated by Jolanta Wróbel
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