Julie Chen (born 1963) is an American

book artist Artists' books (or book arts or book objects) are works of art that utilize the form of the book. They are often published in small editions, though they are sometimes produced as one-of-a-kind objects. Overview Artists' books have employed a ...

Education and teaching

Chen was born in 1963 in

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

. She completed an undergraduate degree in printmaking at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

in 1984. She subsequently became interested in book arts and got a degree in book arts from

Mills College Mills College at Northeastern University is a private college in Oakland, California and part of Northeastern University's global university system. Mills College was founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in 1852 in Benicia, California; it was ...

in 1989. She began teaching book arts at Mills College as an adjunct in 1996 and became an associate professor in 2010.

Career

Chen has achieved prominence by creating conceptually sophisticated works that combine traditional techniques, such as letterpress printing and hand bookbinding, with more modern technologies such as photopolymer plates and laser cutting. She is known for pushing the structural boundaries of the artist's book with a range of architectural and sculptural approaches. At the same time, her work is praised for its high standard of production and emphasis on the artist's book as a tactile experience. Victoria Steele, the former Brooke Russell Astor Director of Collection Strategy for

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...

, remarked that the "physical form" of Chen's work "reinforces the concept and text." Chen investigates the "complex experience" of book arts through her work as an artist and educator. During her time as a student at Mills College, Chen founded Flying Fish Press, publishing limited-edition artists' books. Chen typically works independently but has also produced books collaboratively with fiber artist Nance O'Banion and book artists Barbara Tetenbaum and Clifton Meador. Chen's 1992 book, ''Octopus'', features a tunnel-like, pop-up element known in the book trade as a "peep show" and includes text written by poet Elizabeth McDevitt. It offers a three-dimensional underwater scene with the tentacles of an octopus extending behind the words, creating a physical analogue of the poem, which speaks of concealment, disguise, and distance. In 1994, Chen collaborated with fellow book artist, Ed Hutchins, on ''River of Stars,'' a small book, only three by three inches that was released in an edition of 100''.'' ''Bon Bon Mots'' (1998), a meditation on the fleeting sweetness of life, takes the form of a box of chocolates, each of which, on being unwrapped, reveals itself as a tiny book. Each of the five 'chocolate box' books is folded differently and illustrate the range of approaches Chen brings to each project. "Social Graces" is a lotus-fold type, "Life Cycle" is a tetra-tetra

flexagon In geometry, flexagons are flat models, usually constructed by folding strips of paper, that can be ''flexed'' or folded in certain ways to reveal faces besides the two that were originally on the back and front. Flexagons are usually square or ...

, "Elegy" is a concertina with leaf-shaped pages in a clay cover, "Labyrinth" is ball-in-a-maze type of puzzle in a paper slipcase, and "Either/Or" is a "magic wallet". Chen has also worked with the

volvelle A volvelle or wheel chart is a type of slide chart, a paper construction with rotating parts. It is considered an early example of a paper analog computer. Volvelles have been produced to accommodate organization and calculation in many divers ...

or wheel chart, which is a set of stacked paper disks of varying sizes, sometimes with windows. Chen's books reflect her current interests, current events, and her own personal experiences. In 2002, she released ''The Veil'', a work created in the time leading up to the Iraq War; Chen explains that the book "presents personal reflections inspired by the current political situation in the Middle East and the world" and is in a carousel format. Chen’s books are in the collections the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

in New York City, the

National Museum of Women in the Arts The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), located in Washington, D.C., is "the first museum in the world solely dedicated" to championing women through the arts. NMWA was incorporated in 1981 by Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay. Since openin ...

in Washington D.C., and the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

in London.

Flying Fish Press

Julie Chen bega
Flying Fish Press
in 1987 as a graduate student in Book Art at Mills College in Oakland, California. Though mostly a personal press for books by Julie Chen, she has also collaborated on artist’s book projects with other artists including Lois Morrison, Barbara Tetenbaum and Clifton Meador.

Group exhibitions

Exhibits listed in ''Benezit Dictionary of Artists'' unless otherwise noted *1989, ''Forwarding the Book: California Bookmakers'',

, London *1991, ''California Artists’ Books'',

Armory Center for the Arts The Armory Center for the Arts, also known as the Armory, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit visual arts organization located in Pasadena, California. The Armory provides community arts education programs for all ages and exhibitions of contemporary art, mo ...

, Pasadena *1992, ''Word and Image'', Pacific Center for the Book Arts, San Francisco *1995, ''The Art of Discovery: Scientists’ Books/Artists’ Books'',

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

, Washington, DC *2003, ''Ninety from the Nineties: A Decade of Printing'',

, New York *2005, ''The Artist Turns to the Book'',

Getty Center The Getty Center, in Los Angeles, California, is a campus of the Getty Museum and other programs of the Getty Trust. The $1.3 billion center opened to the public on December 16, 1997 and is well known for its architecture, gardens, and views over ...

, Los Angeles *2006, ''The Book as Art: Twenty Years of Artists’ Books from the National Museum of Women in the Arts'',

, Washington, DC *2008, ''Skipping the Page'',

Center for Book Arts Center for Book Arts (CBA) is a non-profit arts organization, founded in 1974. It is the first organization of its kind in the United States dedicated to contemporary interpretations of the book as an art object while preserving traditional pract ...

, New York *2010, ''Beyond the Text: Artists’ Books from the Collection of Robert J. Rubin'',

Grolier Club The Grolier Club is a private club and society of bibliophiles in New York City. Founded in January 1884, it is the oldest existing bibliophilic club in North America. The club is named after Jean Grolier de Servières, Viscount d'Aguisy, Tre ...

, New York *2010, ''Fourth International Biennale for the Artists’ Book'',

Bibliotheca Alexandrina The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Latin for "Library of Alexandria"; arz, مكتبة الإسكندرية ', ) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt. It is a commemoration of the Library ...

, Alexandria *2011, ''One by One: An Exploration of Book Art'', Craft in America Study Center, Los Angeles *2012, ''Exploding the Codex: The Theater of the Book'',

San Francisco Center for the Book The San Francisco Center for the Book (SFCB) is a non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Mary Austin and Kathleen Burch in San Francisco, California in the United States. The first center of its kind on the West Coast, SFCB was modeled after ...

, San Francisco *2012, ''Quand Les Livres S’amusent'', Musée de l’Imprimerie, Lyon

Solo exhibitions

Exhibits listed in ''Benezit Dictionary of Artists'' unless otherwise noted *2002, ''The Art of Flying Fish Press'',

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

, Burlington *2003, ''The Art of Flying Fish Press'', PABA Gallery, New Haven *2005, ''Bookworks of Flying Fish Press'', Mills College Library, Oakland *2006, ''Bookworks from Flying Fish Press'',

Woodland Pattern Book Center Woodland Pattern Book Center is a nonprofit organization in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Riverwest neighborhood that is dedicated to the discovery, cultivation, and presentation of poetry and the arts. The organization was founded in 1979 by Karl Gartu ...

, Milwaukee *2008, ''The Bookworks of Flying Fish Press'',

, New York *2020, ''Julie Chen: True to Life'', Library & Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Artists books

Flying Fish Press Books in chronological order * 2019 ''Wayfinding'', text and image by Julie Chen. 50 copies * 2018 ''Half- Century'', text and image by Julie Chen. 50 copies * 2017 ''A Recuerdo for Ste. Ostrich'', text and image by Lois Morrison; book design and paper engineering by Julie Chen. 50 copies * 2016 ''Bitter Chocolate'', text by Julie Chen. Images by Julie Chen and Keri Miki-Lani Schroeder. 50 copies * 2015 ''Composite Impressions'', text and image by Julie Chen. 50 copies * 2014 ''Chrysalis'', text and image by Julie Chen. 50 copies * 2013 ''Family Tree'', text and image by Julie Chen. 50 copies * 2013 ''Praxis'' (Illustrated), text and image by Julie Chen. 50 copies * 2013 ''Cat’s Cradle'', text and image by Julie Chen. 50 copies * 2012 ''Memento'', text and image by Julie Chen. 50 copies * 2011 ''Glimpse'', text and image by Julie Chen and Barbara Tetenbaum. 100 copies * 2011 ''How Books Work'', text and image by Julie Chen and Clifton Meador. Open edition * 2010 ''Invented Landscape'', text and image by Julie Chen. 50 copies * 2009 ''A Guide to Higher Learning'', text and image by Julie Chen. 100 copies * 2008 ''Panorama'', text and image by Julie Chen. 100 copies * 2006 ''View'', text and image by Julie Chen. 100 copies * 2006 ''Full Circle'', text and image by Julie Chen. 100 copies * 2004 ''True to Life'', text and image by Julie Chen. 100 copies * 2003 ''Personal Paradigms: A Game of Human Experience'', text and image by Julie Chen. 100 copies * 2002 ''The Veil'', text and image by Julie Chen. 100 copies * 2001 ''Ode to a Grand Staircase'', text by Erik Satie, Book design and images by Julie Chen and Barbara Tetenbaum. 100 Copies * 2001 ''Evidence of Compression'', text and image by Julie Chen * 2000 ''(In)versions'', images by Julie Chen and David Turner. 30 copies. * 1999 ''World Without End'', text and image by Julie Chen. 25 copies. * 1998 ''Bon Bon Mots'', text and image by Julie Chen. 100 copies. * 1997 ''Leavings'', text and image by Julie Chen. 100 copies. * 1996 ''Life Time'', text and image by Julie Chen. 100 copies. * 1996 ''Space-Time Geometry'', text and book design by Julie Chen. Drawings by David Turner. 10 copies. * 1995 ''Radio Silence'', text and image by Julie Chen. 75 copies. * 1994 ''Double Helix: An Essential Component of all living Matter'', text and image by Julie Chen. One-of-a-kind book * 1994 ''River of Stars'', text and image by Julie Chen. 100 copies. * 1993 ''Correspondence Course'', text and image by Nance O’Banion. Book Design by Julie Chen 125 copies. * 1992 ''Octopus'', text by Elizabeth McDevitt, images by Julie Chen. 100 copies. * 1992 ''You Are Here'', text and image by Julie Chen. 100 copies * 1992 ''Listening'', text, and image by Julie Chen. 75 copies * 1990 ''Domestic Science: Pop-up Icons & Idioms'', text and image by Nance O'Banion. Book design by Julie Chen. 150 Copies. * 1990 ''Ste. Ostrich in Manhattan: The visitation of a Martyr'', text and image by Lois Morrison. Book Design by Julie Chen 125 copies. * 1989 ''Requiem'', text by Julie Chen and text from the Requiem of Hector Berlioz. 12 copies. * 1988 ''Memories of Fruit'', text and image by Lois Morrison. Book Design by Julie Chen. 50 copies. * 1988 ''Symphonic Visions'', images by Julie Chen. One of a kind. * 1987 ''Origin'', text and image by Julie Chen. 6 copies. * 1987 ''A Place of Uncertain Refuge'', text by E.B. Mudd, frontispiece and book design by Julie Chen 75 copies. * 1987 ''The First Seven Days'', text from Genesis, images and book design by Julie Chen.

References

External links

Book artist Julie Chen, PROCESS episode
from ''Craft in America''
Spark episode ''Works on Paper''Official site
of Flying Fish Press {{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Julie 1963 births 20th-century American artists Pop-up book artists 20th-century American women artists Living people People from Inglewood, California University of California, Berkeley alumni Mills College alumni 21st-century American women artists 21st-century American artists Book artists Mills College faculty American women academics