Collection con - [Concrete poetry; a representative collection of serials, broadsides, booklets, posters, etc., from Britain, various European and South American countries, and the U.S.]

A collection of 365 separate items with particular focus on concrete poetry and alternative publishing practices taking place in England in the 1960s and 1970s, but with international leanings. Presents the practice of Concrete Poetry as an international movement in which borders are blurred, including those between countries; between languages; and between the entites known as the author, the publisher, and the reader. Related movements such as Mail Art and Fluxus are represented. Shows a close relationship between writing and the physicality of published material through the exploration of alternative publishing practices that utilize a variety of printing and binding techniques. This materiality of the book provides a spectrum that stretches from Independent Publishing Alternatives to Fine Press Publishing through the use of offet printing, letterpress, Xerox, Mimeo, and printing by hand; binding techniques used include anything from stapled chapbooks to loose leaflets in plastic bags or custom folders, or single sheets or cards with no binding at all.