Conversations with the Avant-Garde: The books of Mikhail Karasik

Mikhail Karasik is one of Russia’s leading contemporary figures in the field of artists’books. Karasik relies heavily on stylistic elements and tropes that are deeply embedded in Russian art history as the foundation for his books, in which he juxtaposes new images and contexts.Coupled with the processes of collage and lithography, Karasik reinforces the intertwining nature of personal narrative and collective memory. By overlapping and layering, the artist uses his distinctive voice to retell histories. This article examines the ways in which Karasik’s books
act in dialogue with earlier avant-garde practices and create a new narrative.