L'étonnante diversité des possibilités esthétiques offertes par le livre comme support matériel de la fin du XIX e siècle aux expérimentations les plus contemporaines, est au coeur de la réflexion proposée dans ce livre. La page, le feuillet et le livre, l'écran aussi, débordent le cadre du codex et du livre relié (livre en éventail, leporello, recueil d'affiches, livre dressé, livre sculpté, livre éclaté, livre numérique, etc.), par l'hétérogénéité de leurs matières, de leurs formes et de leurs formats. Ils deviennent des supports actifs dans le processus de conception et de réception de l'oeuvre. Observer les processus de composition et de diffusion des oeuvres dans leurs singularités matérielles, tel est l'objet de ce livre. Cette recherche engage à prendre la mesure du rôle des différents acteurs dans la conception du livre, non plus seulement l'écrivain et l'artiste mais aussi le typographe, le relieur, l'éditeur ou le galeriste, chaque acteur pouvant lui-même être polyvalent. La porosité des frontières entre les activités, les métiers, engendre naturellement la porosité entre les genres littéraires et artistiques.
The heart of the reflection in this book is the diversity of aesthetic possibilities of the book as material support, from the late nineteenth century to contemporary experiments. The page, the sheet and the book go well beyond the codex and the bound book, in the heterogeneity of their materials, forms and formats (fans, leporellos, poster collections, upright books, book sculptures, exploded books, electronic books, etc.): they are active supports in the design and reception process. This book observes the process of composition and distribution of works in their material singularities, including the role of the different stakeholders in the design of the book, not only the writer and the artist but also the typographer, bookbinder, publisher or gallery owner, each playing a multiplicity of roles. Such porous borders between roles andcrafts generate porosity between the literary and artistic genres.
The heart of the reflection in this book is the diversity of aesthetic possibilities of the book as material support, from the late nineteenth century to contemporary experiments. The page, the sheet and the book go well beyond the codex and the bound book, in the heterogeneity of their materials, forms and formats (fans, leporellos, poster collections, upright books, book sculptures, exploded books, electronic books, etc.): they are active supports in the design and reception process. This book observes the process of composition and distribution of works in their material singularities, including the role of the different stakeholders in the design of the book, not only the writer and the artist but also the typographer, bookbinder, publisher or gallery owner, each playing a multiplicity of roles. Such porous borders between roles andcrafts generate porosity between the literary and artistic genres.