Inspired by the intimacy and tactility of the Artist Book, this course will provide students with the tools to deconstruct the book as we know it to reimagine it anew. We will redefine the architecture of the book while paying close attention to the meanings the forms explore. A variety of mixed-media techniques adjacent to book arts will be utilized; drawing, sewing, linocut printing, collagraph, laser-cut engraving, stamping, and cyanotype photography. Some of the key concepts we will investigate in reimagining the book form include enclosure, linearity, scale, movement, tactility, and the body. Students will develop technical skills such as folding techniques, box-making, and incorporating movement through hinging. The course is founded on iteration and process, straddling between 2D and 3D as students experiment and evolve their work- looking to Bauhaus as our model. Drawing inspiration from the language of children’s books, soft books, and performative books, we will also look to artists such as Tauba Auerbach, Es Devlin, Kara Walker, Louise Bourgeois, Sister Sylvester, Colette Fu, and Olafur Eliasson, among others. Our exploration will extend beyond the studio, as we visit local book arts institutions—from Parsons' own Special Collections Library to the Center for Book Arts, Booklyn, dieudonne, the Robert Blackburn Printshop, and Small Editions. These visits will immerse students in the world of contemporary book arts and help them push the boundaries of the book form.