A group of Toronto holographic artists has democratically voted to use civil disobedience against the oppressor -- Canada's National Library.
"After much debate, and with one nay and one abstention, we are decided. We will not submit a copy of our book to the National Library. The unique nature of the books, along with the extensive effort to produce each book, makes it impracticable," says Michael Page, Ontario College of Art and Design teacher and leader of the group known as the Ripple Tank Collective, which made the decision at the group's regular meeting two weeks ago. "We also have reservations about the process by which art objects are evaluated by the National Library of Canada."
The issue at hand is the National Library Act, which, since 1953, has required all publishers to deposit two copies of any book published with the National Library. The act was amended in 1995 to require only one copy if fewer than 100 copies of a book were printed, and doesn't apply if the print run consists of three books or less.
While some artists have been agitating against the regulation for the past 20 years, the decision by Ripple Tank would seem to be the first time artists have decided to flout the law.
To understand why Ripple Tank has decided to man the barricades, you have to appreciate the unique nature of what are called artists' books, or les livres d'artistes.
In Ripple Tank's case, the creation in question is a $6,000, 26-page book containing 10 holographic works created by the artists. It is, as far as the group knows, the first time a collection of the 3-D images will be published in book form.
The book, LightAge, also will make partial use of revolutionary high-fidelity holographic techniques recently developed by French engineer Yves Gentet. In its full application, the technique produces images of such versimilitude that viewers keep trying to touch them to determine if they are real.
Being first and best is part of the reason the book is so expensive. It will have archival inks, paper that will last 300 years, a hand-sewn binding and a special book stand affixed with a light to best view the art. And the costs of these features are in addition to those of the holographic film and the lasers and printers, the gallery book launch and everything else needed to create what Ripple Tank had determined would be an edition of only 21 books -- 10 of which would go to the artists whose work is included.
Given the extremely limited print run, the one copy the law says must be given to the National Library would represent almost 10 per cent of sale copies.
Page remembers almost word for word the exchange about his group's responsibilities he had with the then head of the National Library's legal deposit division.
"I said that it is not a book per se so much as a collection of art objects."
"He said, 'Does it have an index?' "
"I said, 'Yes, it does.' "
"He said, 'Well, it's a book and you have to give us one or you could go to jail.' "
While the jail threat is not precisely accurate, since the provisions of the act say that a fine of up to $2,000 can be assessed for not tithing to the library, artists have problems with the act's defining of the artiness of art and the bookiness of book.
The act only exempts items as more art object than book if the artist is directly involved in the creation of each book through such processes as hand-colouring or paper-sculpting each page. Intermediate works like Ripple Tank's get swept up in the general law.
"If it is published or for sale in Canada, we want it," says Francine Bedard, acting head of the division of legal deposit for the library. However, the library can decide at its discretion to purchase a second copy of an artist's book for its collection.
As a result of these rules, over the last 40 years the National Library has amassed a collection of over 1,000 artists' books, as well as considerable animosity from artists whose works it has requisitioned by law.
"It's grossly unfair. You don't tell artists who make paintings that they have to deposit one of everything they make to the National Gallery [of Canada] But that is what happens if you make something which is deemed a book," says George Walker, a self-described Toronto book artist and member of a book-creating group know as The Loving Society of Letterpress Printers and the Binders of Infinite Love.
To which Gerard Brender a Brandis, a Stratford, Ont., artist who has been making artists' books for more than three decades, adds testily: "What you are really looking at here is a social attitude that artists aren't worth their salt. They only work for the glory of it while they live in their garrets and starve and so you can goof around with them."
There have been artistic revolts against similar legislation in other places. In 1991, South Africa artist Pippa Skotnes objected when the National Library there asked for five copies of her 150-page book of essays, etchings and watercolours. Her print run had only contained 50 copies, but the explanation was that five were needed to provide for various provincial libraries. But her objections grew even stronger when she produced an edition of eight and was asked for a copy from that small number.
Her protests moved through the South African court system, fuelled in part by money raised through an auction of fellow artists' works. Eventually, the government changed the law and ruled that if you produced livres d'artistes in editions of less than 25,you didn't have to make an involuntary contribution.
In response to the Canadian legislation, some artists have thrown up their hands and stopped making art that would qualify as a National Library book. "I have quit producing any book that would fall into the legal-deposit category. I produce one-of-a-kind books, or books in editions of three copies, but I don't produce anything they can take," Brender a Brandis said.
As for the National Library, Bedard says it regrets any conflicts with the artists. However, while the library has not had to take anyone to court over this matter in the past, if someone doesn't comply, "We don't have much choice; we have to apply the law as it is," she says.
The issue should come to a head in a couple of months, when Ripple Tank produces its special print run and doesn't send a $6,000 copy to Ottawa.