Read Image, See Text

Read Image, See Text is an exhibition that explores the various creative approaches to the artist book—an artistic structure that often is a playful investigation of the verbal and visual, the tactile and legible. Within the exhibition, the communicative value of the book is complemented or subverted by design, concept, or objecthood. The exhibition will feature sculpture and print works that explore the aesthetics of language and artist books by contemporary artists and designers, including selections from the collections of Cranbrook Art Museum and the Cranbrook Academy of Art Library. The title of the exhibition Read Image, See Text, is taken from an iconic poster titled See/Read by former Artist-in-Residence and Co-Head of the Design Department at Cranbrook Academy of Art, Katherine McCoy. Two areas within the exhibition will celebrate Detroit and Cranbrook-related artists, featuring books that can all be handled by viewers.

Artists and Publishers included in Read Image, See Text include: assume vivid astro focus, Andrew Blauvelt, Corrie Baldauf, Brighton Press (Michele Burgess with Chard deNiord, Martha Serpas, Ian Tyson, and Nancy Willard,), Jon Geiger, Susan Goethel Campbell, Megan Heeres, Davi Det Hompson, Allen Hori, Margaret Kaufman, Allan Kaprow & Carl Solway, R.B. Kitaj, Darice Koziel, Ronald Allen Leax, Jane Lackey, Glenn Ligon, Katherine McCoy, Michael McCoy, Christian Patterson, Perishable Press, Ed Ruscha, Small Editions NYC, Anne Vieux, Lucy Helton, Sheryl Oppenheim, Patrick Gantert & Nicole Killian, Claire Van Vliet, and Kara Walker.

The reading room of Detroit and Cranbrook-related artist books and publishers include selections from Davin Brainard, Butter Press, Center for Abandoned Letterhead (Maia Asshaq & Danielle Aubert), Good Weather, Hearty Greetings, Alex Nichols, Haynes Riley, Carl Schurer, Cedric Tai, 12 Zines, Corine Vermeulen, Sergej Vutuc, and Katie Wynne.