Undermining Publishing Monopolies. On the Production and Distribution of Artists’ Books since the 1970s

Abstract

Artistic production may be contingent upon factors such as access to materials, censorship and the influence of political forces. The books of the Brazilian artist Regina Silveira and the German artist Martin Kippenberger exemplify the extent to which different political systems affect and interlink the conceptual rubric of production, distribution and consumption. The following text argues that the production of artists’ books is not solely concerned with the production of an object, but also encompasses a programmatic aspect that considers and tests the potential meanings that production can have within the context of political, artistic and economic paradigms.

Keywords
Artists’ Books, Mail Art, Regina Silveira, Martin Kippenberger, Production