The Gefn Press imprint was established in 1977 by Susan Johanknecht, in Vermont USA. It has been located in London since 1981 and has published over forty books and projects to date. The press had a retrospective exhibition at the University of Vermont in 2007 which is documented by an illustrated catalogue with essays by Redell Olsen and Katharine Meynell, ISBN 978-0-940155-01-5, published by The University of Vermont Libraries.
The subject matter of Gefn Press books vary – works considering vulnerability of the environment include: Hermetic Waste (1986), Crevice / Map (1994), Subsequent Drainage on Folding Rocks (2004), Subtext Localities (2007), Waste Incant (2007), Interim Corrode (2011) // calculation of average sunlight (2017).
Relationships between finance, politics and the arts are considered in Baring Antebellum (2010) and Bishopsgate Within. CITY A.M. (2011). Books from 1984, 1989 and 1998 respond to the work of Emily Dickinson.
Projects exploring the artists’ book as a site for collaborative practice include: Here are my Instructions (2004) curated with Redell Olsen,
Volumes (of vulnerability) (2000), Cunning Chapters (2007), Poetry of
Unknown Words (2017) curated with Katharine Meynell and two
Bookmares curated with Finlay Taylor.
Susan Johanknecht is currently subject leader of MA Book Arts at
Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts London. She studied
English Literature at the University of Vermont and Fine Art (Printmaking)
at the Central School of Art. Through National Endowment for the Arts
funding she was apprenticed to Claire Van Vliet and the Janus Press,
Vermont.
Gefn Press books are represented in collections including; the New York
Public Library, British Library, University of Vermont, Tate Library,
National Art Library (V&A), Yale University Library, Museum of Modern
Art, NY, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris.
Gefn Press books are available from the Bookartbookshop
or contact Susan Johanknecht at: gefnpress@btinternet.com