A ton in ash
“A ton in ash” is a new Williams poem published by The Holster as part of the 5th installment of their “Demand & Supply” series at the 2010 NY Art Book Fair at PS1. It was funded in part by one of ASDF’s “One Hundred $1 Grants.” Get a copy for just $3.00 or grab a PDF here.
Fair Trade
Above: A spread from The Book Trust Prospectus by IFS, Ltd.
This year, much of the talk about the New York Art Book Fair seems to be centered on the Fair itself. Fueling some of this talk, whether expressly stated or not, is a simple question: how, in the midst of one of the most historic economic recessions on record, as the media outlets decry the final hour of the book, was last year’s Fair the biggest yet? And why does it seem that this year’s Fair may be even bigger still?
Against the backdrop of the recession and the destabilization of the book there are three additional factors that have a bearing on the Fair’s ever-increasing reach: the graphic design postgraduate program that defines a thesis book as its culminating project; the design social scene that functions a bit more like a rock scene, celebrating the making and distribution of new work over the more professionalized goals of acquiring and servicing clients; and the temporary or “pop-up” store that transforms the sometimes solitary act of buying into a networked, participatory, and collective event.
