This collection is arranged in 3 series:
Series 1: Artists' Books Series 2: Zines Series 3: Small Press Books
Accession No. RARE.2022.0046: Stephen Perkins, 2022 September
[identification of item], Stephen Perkins Collection, SPEC.RARE.0317, Rare Books & Manuscripts Library, Ohio State University
Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the Thompson Library Special Collection reading room only.
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.
Processed by: Lindsay Resnick, 2023 March; Finding aid written by: Lindsay Resnick, 2023 March
Stephen Perkins is, as of 2023, an independent art historian, artist, and curator of periodicals and printed works by alternative artists. Perkins owns and curates a gallery, Subspace, which is based in his home in Madison, Wisconsin. Perkins worked from 2000 to 2015 as the Director of the Lawton Gallery at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
The Stephen Perkins Collection, dated 1977-2021, contains 34 artists' books, zines, and small press books collected by Perkins. While most of the contents of this collection are bound volumes, other formats include photograph albums and a cassette box used as an artists' book. Some items feature comics and art, others feature poetry and visual poetry, and the rest are written in prose.
The collection covers a wide range of themes, including contemporary current events, body image issues, capitalism, and consumerism, as well as others.
The majority of the items in the collection are in English, with one item in German and one in French. One item is written in English on paper that is printed in Russian.
Additional materials donated by Stephen Perkins have been cataloged individually and are accessible through the OSU Libraries' online catalog for
Series 1: Artists' Books, dated 1994-2016, contains fourteen artists' books collected by Stephen Perkins. Artists' books are works of art that take the form of books or other publications. These are often produced in limited editions, but can sometimes be one-of-a-kind. Themes covered in these books include language, current events,
Series 1: Artists' Books, is arranged in alphabetical order by the creator's name. If the creator of an artists' book is unknown, its folder is listed at the end of the container list with phrase "[unknown creator]" in place of the creator's name. The title of each artists' book follows the creator's name in quotation marks. Each folder title reflects how the title of the artists' book appears on the item itself.
Series 2: Zines, dated 1989-1992, 2002-2021, contains twelve zines collected by Stephen Perkins. Zines are often self-published, low-budget productions produced in small quantities. They can be produced using simple tools such as scissors, staplers, and photocopiers, and frequently focus on topics or subjects that are of interest to niche audiences.
Series 2: Zines, is arranged in alphabetical order by the creator's name. The title of each zine follows the creator's name in quotation marks. Each folder title reflects how the title of the zine appears on the item itself.
Series 3: Small Press Books, dated 1977-2004, contains nine books professionally published by small presses. Small press books are generally produced in higher quantities and with more professional design and publishing techniques than zines, and tend to be more focused on the written word than artists' books.
Series 2: Small Press Books, is arranged in alphabetical order by the creator's name. The title of each artists' book follows the creator's name in quotation marks. Each folder title reflects how the title of the book appears on the item itself.