OnFiction: The Art of the Book

Those of us who love to read books almost inevitably have a visceral reaction to the physical presence of books. We not only love to read books, we love to hold books, to smell books, and to admire the visual appeal of books. In celebration of the physical form of books, the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild is currently exhibiting the results of a juried competition across Canada. These 'Art of the Book' exhibits began in 1988 and have occurred every 5 years, presenting some highly creative and thought-provoking demonstrations of bookbinding alongside re-imaginings of what makes a book. Presented at the top of this post is a piece by Karen Hanmer (US), for In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje. Below are some other fine examples along with the rest of the touring schedule for the exhibition. It is currently at the Craft Ontario Gallery

(990 Queen St. W., Toronto) until September 13th. The online exhibition catalogue is here. I highly recommend catching this if you can.