Venetia Porter's 'Artists Making Books' Redefines Artist Books Beyond Western Traditions

Venetia Porter's publication 'Artists Making Books: Poetry to Politics' challenges the Western-centric definition of artist books by focusing on works from the Arab-speaking world, South Asia, and the Middle East to North Africa. The book examines how these publications reflect intimate connections to Arabic calligraphy, miniature painting, and literature, while also responding to contemporary political and social contexts. Porter introduces concepts like 'daftar,' a term coined by art historian Nada Shabout that refers to notebooks or ledgers originating from Iraq. Iranian-American artist Ala Ebtekar cites influences ranging from political pamphlets and zine culture to classical Arabic texts. Although substantially drawing from the British Museum's collection, the work serves as an important index of artistic responses by figures including Dia al-Azzawi, Etel Adnan, Ahmed Morsi, and Al Braithwaite to issues shaping the Arab world. Published by British Museum Press and priced at £25 in softcover, the book argues that artist books are not merely publications with artistic involvement but intimate works deeply tied to their cultural and historical moments.