Book as Artwork 1960/1974 is based on the article published by Germano Celant in the first issue of the magazine Data in 1971, considered one of the first attempts to catalogue artist's books. The volume collects and compares the subsequent versions edited by Lynda Morris (1972) and Benjamin Buchloh (1974), enriched with updates, annotations and additions to the original bibliography. The edition is designed as a study tool that allows readers to observe the evolution of the artist's book in an international context, providing a critical overview of the debate between conceptual art, publishing and visual experimentation.
The volume is organised using three symbols — square, circle and triangle — to distinguish the sections and their respective theoretical contributions. At the end, an analytical index brings together all the titles cited, offering a cross-referenced and historical-critical reference tool on the evolution of the artist's book between 1960 and 1974.
