Different books - paper design

Since 2009, the Seine-Saint-Denis County Council has been backing “la Culture et l’Art au Collège (CAC)”. This project is based to a large extent on the presence in class for several weeks (40h) of an artist or scientist whose mission is to engage the students in a process of research and creation. 

Tutors: Laurel Parker, Paul Chamard/ designers

Project manager: Anna Mezey

Objectives:
In our society, faced with mass-produced books, we rarely think about their design or manufacture. However, you only have to hold an extraordinary, limited-edition book in your hands, sometimes an artist’s book, to appreciate the astonishing diversity of methods, often based on historical and innovative techniques.  Under the supervision of a couple of book designers, the students get a taste of the pleasure of a rare and meticulous work.

Workshop:
One book, several books
The contributors describe their profession using some of their creations and designs. This phase develops both the idea of the book (how does one recognise an object as a book?) and the variety that can be observed (miniature book, opening it from the middle, reading from any direction, etc.). The students create three small books to learn three different structures, “booklet binding”, “Japanese binding” and “accordion binding”.

Which book?
The students, teacher and contributors discuss the choice of content to examine various possibilities: one text or several, and which texts? Pictures only (that show what?) Text and pictures? The class is then divided into three groups with each group discussing a project. Individually, each student makes preparatory sketches and mock-ups.

Three books
Three different books are devised and then produced. The contributors take charge of printing the mock-ups with a professional printer and return to class with the printed pages. Each group patiently sets about learning to use various tools, mainly for binding: gauge for making holes, thread for binding, needles for sewing, bone folder, etc.

Outcome:
From 3rd – 10th June 2016, the students’ work was shown at the multimedia library in Villemomble. Three showcases were set up there, in each of which was presented a selection of the students’ approaches: drawings, prototypes, tools and the three books with different bindings: “Pour la paix dans le monde” (booklet binding), “Vide-Plein” (accordion binding) and “Tagus” (Japanese binding).   

Acknowledgements: the Robert-Calméjane multimedia library in Villemomble for hosting this exhibition. 

Outings:
- TRIP TO THE “LAUREL PARKER BOOK” WORKSHOP, PARIS 13ÈME. PRESENTATION OF THE VARIOUS TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS USED BY THIS DESIGN WORKSHOP.
- BIBLIOTHÈQUE NATIONALE DE FRANCE: GUIDED TOUR OF THE EXHIBITION “ANSELM KIEFER, L’ALCHIMIE DU LIVRE”.

Participating middle school:
- ULIS students from the Collège Louis Pasteur, Villemomble

Photo: PIERRE ANTOINE