In Artists' Books Discussion at Queens College (1985), Martha Wilson presents a selection of artists’ books from Franklin Furnace's archive. Wilson explains the importance of collecting artists’ books as other cultural institutions have failed to include such materials as viable artworks due to their experimental form and political content. She traces the history of artists’ books from Futurism, Conceptual Art, and Fluxus, defining the avant-garde medium at the intersection of art and literature. Wilson discusses the visual, poetical, and conceptual arrangement of artists’ books and notes how these elements are performative on the page. She is later joined by Franklin Furnace Curator, Matthew Hogan, who presents artists’ books from the organization’s permanent collection. This video features artists’ books by Charles Henri Ford, Kevin Osborn, Fluxus, Art Life Magazine, Ed Ruscha, Don Celender, Mark Berghash, John Baldessari, Eleanor Antin, Scott Hyde, The Apple Magazine, Warren Lehrer, Jessie Affelder, Sol Lewitt, Dick Higgins, and David Horton, among others.
Franklin Furnace Archive, Inc. was founded by artist Martha Wilson in 1976 to champion ephemeral forms neglected by mainstream arts institutions. Franklin Furnace’s mission is to present, preserve, interpret, proselytize, and advocate on behalf of avant-garde art, especially forms that may be vulnerable due to institutional neglect, their ephemeral nature, or politically unpopular content. The organization is dedicated to serving artists by providing both physical and virtual venues for the presentation of time-based visual art, including artists’ books, installation art, performance art, and unforeseen contemporary avant-garde art forms. Franklin Furnace is committed to serving emerging artists; to assuming an aggressive pedagogical stance with regard to the value of avant-garde art to life; and to fostering artists’ zeal to broadcast ideas. The organization has developed a place in art history for artists’ books, temporary installation art, and performance art. www.franklinfurnace.org
