Book As Place a workshop by illesha Khandelwal 

In this 7 day workshop, we will explore the possibilities of artistic development through the book form. We will approach the book as a powerful tool as well as medium, working from sketchbooks to artist books. Beginning with sketchbook development, we will unlearn the need to present a finished work within, but rather develop a method to think through the book. We will work together to pinpoint students’ subject areas of interest, and find ways to use the book to develop these into the artistic practice, for a clearer vision and stronger work. Pulling together different media, we will experiment with the book as a meeting point for interdisciplinary practices – combining several types of materials in a single form. Then, learning different techniques of book binding, each student will continue to conceptualize and make one zine and one artist book. This knowledge will push students forward into the world of self-publishing, showing them the possibilities of selling and distributing their own work in a format that is politically charged, to empower the free speech of the students. In the making of these book objects we will use recycled materials (including making our own recycled paper), household objects and easily accessible tools so we may take these practices forward into our lives with ease and continue to produce books. In the conceptual development of our books, we will think about placeness – exploring psychogeography, mapping practices, and creating space – to build an insightful and personal work of book art.