Book Arts and the collections of Tāmaki Paenga Hira

A range of work was purchased from Toni, including ‘Once a Grand and Noble Forest’ and ‘Kahikatea Butter Book’. Both books feature a strong commentary on the colonial destruction of indigenous ngahere, in this instance the milling of swathes of kahikatea forest to make boxes in which to export butter. Kahikatea timber was particularly favoured as it has little smell to permeate the delicate butter flavour. Toni’s was a heartfelt artistic response to the destruction of a significant lowland forest for a use so ephemeral and disposable.

Subsequent to the purchase from Toni, an invitation was extended to the Associate Curator, Heritage Publications, to attend a talk at the Angela Morton Room, a specialist collection focused on New Zealand artists, housed at the Takapuna Library in Auckland. The talk was given by Elizabeth (Beth) Serjeant, artist and creator of handcrafted books.

In tandem with lithographer Joan Taylor, Beth created ‘The Visionary’, the most highly awarded artists’ book in New Zealand, winning the BNZ Art Award in 1989. A copy was purchased from Beth for the collection, as an exemplar of how a collaborative process can result in a beautiful object. Beth worked with well known Auckland poet, Riemke Ensing to identify 10 poet contributors on the theme of ‘visionary’.  Working with Joan Taylor (lithographer) and John Denny (typeset printer, Puriri Press) Beth captured her artistic response to each poem. The binding studio at Auckland University of Technology enabled Beth to hand bind 50 copies and create slipcases to house each volume.

Beth’s background is in design and advertising though she was drawn to the book arts after discovering a passion for understanding the many processes that can contribute to the creation of an artists’ book. Processes which include papermaking (from various materials including flax), typeset printing, lithography, wood cuts, embossing, hand binding and folded or structured books.

Conversations with Beth led to the discovery that she had been involved in book arts and the Auckland based Association of Women Artists group for most of its existence, so was able to share a deep knowledge of the book arts scene in late 20^th century Auckland, when many of the titles purchased in 2021 were created.

As a knowledge holder of the book arts community, Beth was able to unravel the connections between Claire van Vliet and her visit in 1995. In fact, 1995 was the second visit Claire had made to New Zealand to teach a range of book arts.

Let’s return to 1989 and the BNZ award ceremony in Wellington, when Beth won the BNZ Art Award. While there, Beth met Moira Long, then Assistant Curator, Drawings and Prints at the Alexander Turnbull Library. Moira alerted Beth to the first US National Conference of the Book Arts in New York, 1990. After gaining a grant, Beth and Joan travelled to attend the conference and visit other book artists and exhibitions of makers’ work across the United States.

It was at the conference that Beth met Claire van Vliet and thus began a long, supportive and collaborative friendship that still exists in 2026. A further connection Beth made in America was with Bonnie Thompson Norman, while visiting The Women’s Building in Los Angeles. This was the home of the Feminist Studio Workshop, the first independent art school for women in the US. Bonnie learned the art of letterpress printing and the concept and execution of artists’ books whilst based in LA.² Eventually Bonnie also taught at The Women’s Building, skills she brought to Aotearoa in 1993 when the first New Zealand Book Symposium was held at the Auckland Institute of Technology. Claire also lectured, alongside well known feminist artist from Aotearoa, Carole Shepheard. Beth Serjeant was one of the organisers of the symposium and the accompanying exhibition “Reading Room: an exhibition of artist’s books” held in the Upstairs Gallery of Lopdell House, Titirangi.

Two years later, Claire returned to Aotearoa in January 1995 to teach at the Advanced Book Arts course in Auckland (mentioned in paragraph three) followed by the Wellington Book Arts Intensive the next week. The intriguing association between American book artist and Auckland artists, solved.

Having such a skilled and artistic book creator teaching in Auckland enabled a strengthening of the Auckland artists’ bookmaking community, creating a diverse array of taonga pukapuka which reflect the many and varied concerns and passions of artists in Tāmaki Makaurau.