State of the Union: a Snapshot of Our Political and Social Conundrum

State of the Union at the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts at the University of Pennsylvania's Van Pelt-Dietrich Library

State of the Union. is an artist book created by Werner Pfeiffer and published in 2012. The Publisher is Pear Whistle Press, located in Red Hook, New York. The book is a representation of the American flag and is split into 8 distinct sections, each covering a different topic. The book acts to serve as a commentary of the current sociopolitical climate of the United States examining its faults and failures. This edition of State of the Union is housed in the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts at the University of Pennsylvania's Van Pelt-Dietrich Library. Only 50 copies were produced. The copy housed in The University of Pennsylvania is number seven.

Overview

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Structure and Content

The book contains eight rectangular accordion sections that, when placed together, make up the American flag. The sections are made to represent the stripes and stars. The stars section represents the introduction section. There are four red stripe sections and 3 white stripe sections. Three of the tripe sections (two red, one white) are shorter than the rest due to the stars section. Each section covers a separate topic. These include Politics, Education, Society, Environment, Economy, Health, Business, and an introduction. Upon opening a section, two distinct sides are revealed. On one side, a unique equation pertains to the topic, and on the other numerous political quotes and a 19th-century fanciful invention. Although this book contains an introductory section, it lacks navigation tools or a table of contents, when one begins to read the book they inevitably mix up sections as Pfeiffer does not indicate that there is a correct order to read, or keep the sections in other than the fact that red and white alternate and some sections or shorter than others. Additionally it never explicitly states which side the reader should start on, the equation or the invention. This adds to the idea that there is no one way to read or interpret this book. When the reader first approaches the book, it starts as a complete American flag; as they read and deconstruct the flag, Pfeiffer also wants the reader to deconstruct the false ideologies behind it and end with something that no longer has any resemblance to the flag the reader once knew

Commentary

Using form, design, context, and more, State of the Union provides a highly political commentary on the United States. Throughout the piece, Pfeiffer is incredibly intentional, making use of every available device to promote his narrative. By titling his work "State of the Union: A Snapshot of Our Political and Social Conundrum," Pfeiffer deliberately refers to the annual speech given by the United States President. By doing this, he illustrates immediately that this book is a commentary on the current state of America, when paired with the material within the title emphasizes the disconnect Pfeiffer asserts exists between the idealized version of America and its present state. The title of the book is most synonymous with American pride and unity, but Pfeiffer uses it to convey a critical perspective on the uncomfortable truths of America. His use of the American flag as the book's material further reinforces this idea. The American flag is usually a symbol of patriotic pride but he instead uses it as a symbol of inadequacies. Instead of showing a glamorized image of America, he shows its weaknesses and flaws. The majority of the text in State of the Union is quotes from others or images from newspaper articles, but when combined with the unique formatting and design, it takes on its own unique identity and message. Oftentimes, Pfeiffer's books are as much about their presentation as their contents, if not more, because of their unique and controversial formatting, which sparks debate and discussion that would otherwise be constrained by the limited number of copies available. Pfeiffer isn't the first to use artist books to express political ideology, as the medium lends itself to provocative expression of taboo or controversial ideologies that often push more boundaries than just formatting.

Artist Books

Overview

As they sound, artist books combine books and art. These are not books about art or books that contain art, but rather works of art that use the form and/or medium of books. Although there has been much discussion about the true definition of an artist's book since art is always hard to define, they generally use a book's preexisting structure as a medium for artistic expression. There has been a long history of artist books stretching the boundaries of what a book is, often deconstructing the very concept of a book. What does a book need to remain a book? Is it a cover, a binding, or a piece of writing? Artist books often lack these elements and yet remain books nonetheless. Artist books are often handmade in limited quality, and their design and the discussion it creates allow them to reach a larger audience, as their forms often limit how many copies can be physically produced. Unlike more traditional books, artist books focus on conceptual content through artistic expression through the medium of a book, which differentiates them from their counterparts. Using this differentiation, artist books explore topics and ideas that are often inaccessible through more traditional formats.

History

Contemporary artist books as we know them today began to gain exposure and recognition in the 20th century, with the 1960s and 70s, in particular, representing a monumental apex due in great regard to the avant-garde movement of the time. As a result of the improvements in technology following World War II, photocopying and offset printing became more widespread in the early 1960s. By using hand set type and lithography, not only could books be produced economically, but they also contributed to the idea of a democratic form of art in which distribution and production were controlled by individuals. This attitude and accessibility allowed for artist books to flourish. A precursor to the 1960s American art movement that used books as art was the Dada movement of the late 1910s, early 1920s in Europe. This movement emphasized "ethical and political concerns for the function of art in society" through the use of books as a means of expression However, the true origin of the artist's book is much older and more challenging to trace. It is believed that artist books have existed alongside more traditional versions of books for much of their existence with art and books are often intertwined; this is seen in books like manuscripts where illuminations were often essential. Artist books became increasingly more common around the time of early printing. William Blake's work in the late 17th and early 18th century was the precursor to contemporary artist books. He would go as far to create a new printing method that would better allow for the integration of art and text . While Blake was a trailblazer in this aspect he was not the first author or artist to combine both mediums.

Werner Pfeiffer

Initially born in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1937, Pfeiffer emigrated to the United States when he was 24 to pursue art. In 1969 he became a Professor of Art at Pratt University and director of the Pratt Adlib Press. His work has spanned multiple mediums, including painting, sculpture, and printmaking. A great deal of his artistic style would be influenced by his upbringing in Germany during World War II, where censorship of books was a terrifying reality. As a result of these early experiences, he became increasingly outspoken about issues like war, censorship, and politics in his work. He began exploring the intersection of his interest in political topics such as censorship and books with his creation of what he called "book objects". Since then, he has created various artist books that explore form, function, and design to represent and exhibit various political issues more deeply. Pfeiffer's works are often interactive and hands-on, encouraging viewers to participate in their construction, reassembling, rotating, and pivoting.