The works of art in the project Artists’ Books that Wang Tha Phra Library, Central Library, Silpakorn University exhibits have been publicized. The exhibition which can be seen is a part of a self-declaration that expresses uniqueness and potential in art that Silpakorn University, the first art university in Thailand, holds.

In fact, artists all over the globe and Thai artists have been inspired by contexts hidden within in books for a long time, for the reason that reading books can lead to gaining knowledge and imagination. Books are old media that humans had been generally using for ages, prior to the birth of new media, which can be a reason why books may vanish from the human perception in the present and the future days. In contrast, digital media are more accessible, more interesting,and more active than those still and quiet fonts hidden within the pages. The production of printed matters has been declining shockingly. Magazines and daily newspapers have been terminated. There has been a horrified warning about book readers in Thailand, saying that:

"Thai people read merely 8 lines from books per year"

It shows the moribund status of the book reading in our country, telling that Thai people will go farther from reading books as time passes. Maybe they will read only 1 line per year. Maybe they won’t read books anymore until they reach the point where they would ask; "what is a book?"

Wang Tha Phra Library, might become a book museum where no one comes to read anymore.

Therefore, Artists’ Books, other than participating in representing art by Thai artists or encouraging Thai artists to create art, it might play an important role in recording and memorizing how these old media go forward for the last time, before they are gone from the globe.

The day Wang Tha Phra Library, Silpakorn University announced Artists’ Books at the Main Hall, Art Centre, Silpakorn University, Wang Tha Phra Campus, on the 21th of February 2017, I talked about an important exhibition about artists’ books’ “The Book as an Object D’Art.” That time, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn was kind enough to officially open the ceremony on the 8th of May 1991. The exhibition was organized by the Goethe-Institut at The Art Centre, Silpakorn University, Wang Tha Phra Campus, representing thoughts and forms of books through art by foreign artists for our first time.

Most of the works belonged to German artists. These works of art offered "books as art objects" to the artists from the other side of the globe, making the artists get around creative artwork in form of book for the first time in 1991. The exhibition consisted of various works with many aspects including thought provoking, intensely expressive, and also beautiful ones. It is not known whether anyone would continue this specific kind of exhibition or not, because there hasn't been any exhibition where artists gather and create books as art objects yet, but I believe that The Book as an Object D'Art is still fresh in the audiences' memories and artists are inspired by it. It was an important chance for Thai artists to express their minds.

In the scope of artists worldwide, artist's book type of work still appears here and there. There are works represented through books in the 57th Biennale Arte which is being held in Venice, in the exhibition held at the Venetian Arsenal where the curators choose which artists to be featured. Artists have still been impressed with the book format or the stories from books, even in the situation where there is the fear that books might vanish from the existence, I still believe that books are surely still a part of the impression we have had since the past (see illustration 2). Speaking of the origin of books, humans invented scripts and recorded them to communicate.

This might be from the saying which has been said for ages:

"Talks vanish, writings remain."

Archaic humans thus tried to invent scripts, beginning from 8000 – 4000 BC. They invented the wedge-shaped characters, or what we call the cuneiform script. The script was used in Mesopotamia; in Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Iran, and Iraq.

In South Asia, there were languages invented around the Indus River in 2500 BC. In China, hieroglyphs were invented in 1500 BC. There also were many languages and scripts invented in Asia such as Arabian language, ancient Mon script, Khom script, Balinese script, Sanskrit script, Lanna script, and unto Tai Tham script, and Thai script which King Ramkhamhaeng the Great invented in 1283.

Archaic humans invented those characters to record their important words and stories, especially those about religions and beliefs. According to this, the characters were often written on durable materials such as stone plates, wooden plates, silver or gold plates, or materials from plants such as palm leaves, or papers.

The characters are in The Holy Bible which is protected by a front page and a back page, both made of precious metals such as gold or silver. For old Thai characters, they are possibly protected by a cloth, called in Thai "Pa Hor Pra Kum Pee (which means a scripture wrapping cloth). All the subjects aforesaid don't have any meaning towards art books which we create these days.

The meaning of artists' books was possibly found in the 20th century. It was from art by contemporary artists utilizing an element of books and apply the element on their works, creating art objects. The works weren't for reading, but rather for seeing and getting some ideas from them.

Artists' books can be expressed freely, but must be in a frame of meaning and form which can be categorized into 4 themes:

1. Expressed through concepts, which are linked to literature, written works, and contents from books. Artists' books can be expressed to these things without having the form of books.

2. Expressed through imaginations, moods, and feelings. Some artists' books might convey warm feelings, some might convey calm feelings, and some might convey aggressive feelings, which are feelings acquired by seeing merely forms of books as art objects, but not books that can be opened and read.

3. Expressed through expressions or actions. The artists who create this kind of art might express any actions in order to gain the artistic outcomes. These actions are sometimes soft, such as creating their works by embroideries, or assembling their works elaborately, and sometimes destructive, such as pounding, tearing, cutting, or burning their works.

4. Expressed through aesthetics and beauty, making the best out of art and its attributes by representing perfect combinations of various objects, using harmonization of visual elements, or applying other media that can be perceived through senses such as sounds, music, scents, and compositions.

The artists who create artist's books can be categorized into 2 groups, which are:

The first group consists of what we call book artists. They are those who make books, but not fine artists. Examples include authors, columnists, poets, editors, art directors, printers, illustrators, print specialists. These people always associate with books and magazines, and tend to make art.

The second group consists of fine artists. They are those who straightforwardly make art as a job, including painters, sculptors, printmakers, mixed-media artists. These are the artists that are in the scope of Artists' Books.

This project, under the name "Artists' Books : Knowledge Inside - Out," was established by Wang Tha Phra Library, Silpakorn University to create the first gathering of Thai artists that focus on the artists' contexts and stories, and to also be a self-declaration of Silpakorn University which is the first art university in Thailand, established 74 years ago by Professor Silpa Bhirasri while the library was also created at the same period. Wang Tha Phra Library has always been playing an important role in being a source of knowledge for art students and artists. In the present days, the library is said to be the library that has the most complete collections of art books. This establishment of the Artists' Books is therefore an appropriate chance for the library to coordinate with artists in order to straightforwardly create art which should be a historic evidence of the university and also the country.

Inviting only 40 artists to participate in the project may thus merely be the beginning of artists' books which may be continued and develop into exhibitions ahead that feature both fine 25 artists and book artists.

This group of artists consists of painters, sculptors, printmakers, and mixed-media artists who are experienced and accepted widely in the art scene, including National Artists, Distinguished Artists, national level artists, middle generation artists, and also senior artists. Most of them are teachers who have taught in universities including Silpakorn University, Chiang Mai University, and King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang and independent artists.

Unfortunately, while the project was being proceeded with, an important sculptor Eminent Professor Nonthivathn Chandhanaphalin, a National Artist, passed away, resulting in 39 artists participating in the project. National Artists are Professor Decha Warashoon, Emeritus Professor Ithipol Thangchalok, Emeritus Professor Preecha Taothong, Emeritus Professor Vichai Sitthirat, Professor Vichoke Mukdamanee, and Panya Wijintanasan, 6 artists in total. Great National Artists include Professor Thavorn Ko-udomvit, Professor Yanawit Kunchaethong, and Anupong Chantorn.

The works of art in this exhibition will contribute to a great collection of Silpakorn University in the same way as the works that won the National Exhibitions of Art which the university has been collecting. They are considered pride on behalf of the first art university of the country and the art library that has the most complete art and cultural information in Thailand. This wellheeled completeness aforementioned will shine in this Artists' Books.