Sketchbooks: Selections from the Kohler Art Library

February 18 – May 19, 2008

One can almost see the hand of an artist by looking at a sketchbook.  Artists use sketchbooks to quickly capture a fleeting moment depicted in a scene, face, impression, interior view, animal, rambling thought (doodle), or general idea. Sketchbooks come in all sizes, but for the most part they are portable and accompany the artist to local sites or faraway places.   Facsimiles have been published to reproduce the exact sketchbook and/or pages of the sketchbook used by the artist.  Smudges, rips, stains, and stray marks are all reproduced to match the original artifact.  The art library has a growing collection of these facsimiles, such as the sketchbooks of Picasso, Renoir, Cezanne, Paul Klee, and Le Corbusier, among others.  Contemporary book artists such as Henrik Drescher and Susan Bee incorporate a sketchbook-like quality in their work with splashes of dazzling color and playful line drawings.  All of the sketchbooks on display show work that is “in the moment” and unrehearsed.  They are fresh, vibrant, and great fun to view!  This exhibit is a corollary to the “Workbooks” exhibit currently on display in Memorial Library, Special Collections.  Both exhibits run from February 18 – May 19, 2008.

Curated by Lyn Korenic.

Image from:  Pablo Picasso.  Carnet Catalan.  Paris : Berggruen, [1958].