Ehon: The Artist and the Book in Japan

The New York Public Library has a fantastic new exhibition up currently, titled Ehon: The Artist and the Book in Japan. Ehon surveys the development of the Japanese picture book, a 1350 year history which began in the eighth century. The survey extends through the Japanese Avant-Garde, including the MAVO movement, through to Anime and the contemporary photographic artist book. While I have not yet seen the exhibit, I did order the 380 page companion volume, published by the NYPL and the University of Washington Press. It a beautiful book, with enough illustration to truly draw you into these visual wonders. The show runs through February, 2007.