POUGHKEEPSIE, NY.- Book lovers and aesthetes alike will often cite the material qualities of a book, the cloth covers, glossy pages, rough or gilded edges, or the personal touch that one can experience through a book's design -- even more than a book's contents -- as the basis for the medium's lasting significance in contemporary society. These characteristics add up to the overall significance of a book as an object to behold, rather than simply a source of information, something appreciated by artists and readers since the first illuminated manuscript was published over ten centuries ago.

For decades, through what has come to be known as the "artist's book," artists have manipulated the page, format, and content of books, often transforming them into a reflexive discussion of the medium's own tradition. While there is no fixed definition of what an artist's book can be, it is always a work of art in itself, created for its own sake and not necessarily for the information it contains.

How thirteen international artists have expanded the terrain of the artist's book over the last ten years, is the focus of Off the Shelf: New Forms in Contemporary Artists' Books, to be shown October 6-December 17, 2006 at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center. The exhibition features over 45 objects which represent a diverse range of expressions, including the personal narrative, introspection and reflection, a critique of conventional book design, and evoke the intimate act of leafing through a favorite book or viewing the pages of someone's diary or sketchbook.

Curator Mary-Kay Lombino points to such artists as Jonathan Callan, Paul Noble, and Brian Belott, who manipulate found books to invent new objects that have been transformed by the artists' hands and imaginations. Beatriz Milhazes, Francesca Gabbiani, and Russell Crotty illustrate texts that they find meaningful, from poems, novels, and songs, to the artists' own musings.

"This group of artists demonstrates an intuitive understanding and admiration of distinctive qualities in their book works," said Lombino, "They share a remarkable consideration for the craft of making an art object in the form of a book, with a focus on craftsmanship and attention to detail." Off the Shelf , and its companion publication, are sponsored by the Friends of Frances Lehman Loeb Exhibition Fund.

All thirteen featured artists create books alongside their other output including painting, drawing, photography, and sculpture. Many of the books incorporate layered collage or hand-drawn, hand-painted, or hand-cut pages, resulting in unique objects and very small editions. Most of the works in Off the Shelf are artist initiated and produced, while others continue the great tradition of publishing books that unite artists and writers from around the globe.

One co-edition is Beatriz Milhazes' Coisa Linda ("Something Beautiful"), from the Contemporary Editions series published by the Museum of Modern Art's Library Council. Coisa Linda includes lyrics from Brazilian award-winning composers and musicians Gilberto Gil, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Arnaldo Antunes, and Edgard Scandurra among others.

For the exhibition, books will be displayed according to the specifications of the work. For example, while several of the books are too fragile to be handled, and will be shown under a vitrine, others will be made more accessible. Works by Russell Crotty, Takashi Murakami, and Monique van Genderen will be displayed on shelves or tables, and an attendant will be in the galleries at all times in order to turn pages for the public. Books by Brian Belott will be completely accessible, for the public to handle with Art Center staff supervision.