Artists’ Recordworks in the Early Twenty-First Century

AbstractDespite the rise of digital downloads and streaming music, contemporary artists and musicians are creating analog objects that combine audio recordings—vinyl record, cassette, CD—with printed matter. These artists' recordworks are a type of artist's book; they are also alternative publications released in editions or as multiples. The author defines artists' recordworks and provides some background in order to establish a historical precedent for recordworks in art library collections. A brief history of album cover art is included as well because it links graphic and package design to fine art.