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An artist's book can be an artwork in which the physical act of handling the book is part of the experience.
Pages may be unusually shaped, folded, textured, layered, or arranged in unexpected ways.
Some works contain no conventional text at all.
Others combine poetry, photography, printmaking, painting, and unusual materials inside the same object.
The Smithsonian notes that artists' books can sit at the intersection of printmaking, photography, poetry, experimental narrative, graphic design, and publishing.
Because of this, a museum may display an artist's book behind glass even though the original work was intended to be physically explored.
In this form of art, turning a page can itself become part of the artwork.
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