Inside the Art of the Page - An Interview with Gillian Canavan on Pace Publishing’s Vision, Craft, and Editorial Philosophy.

Pace Gallery’s publishing arm has, for decades, stood at the intersection of scholarship and sensorial craft - a domain where books are not just vessels for images and text but deeply considered extensions of the artists they accompany.

While many galleries produce handsome catalogues, Pace’s publishing output distinguishes itself through its archival rigor, its commitment to new literary voices, and its willingness to treat the book as a site of artistic experimentation. Since the 1960s, when Pace began commissioning art-historical texts that continue to shape contemporary discourse, the imprint has refined a philosophy rooted in collaboration, material sensitivity, and an unwavering respect for the tactile experience of reading.

When the art stares back at you harder than you stared at it.

This ethos becomes especially clear when looking across recent publications. Torkwase Dyson: A Liquid Belonging is one such example: its interplay of acetate, variable page sizes, and distinct textual treatments mirrors the spatial logic of Dyson’s work, turning the book itself into a sculptural analogue. Similarly, Calder: Un effet du japonais, produced for an exhibition in Tokyo, reflects Pace’s expanding global footprint and its embrace of multilingual publishing as an integral part of audience engagement.

But the imprint’s breadth is perhaps best illustrated through its books on artists like James Turrell and Hermann Nitsch - two figures whose practices seem, at first glance, almost oppositional. Turrell’s work hinges on perception, atmosphere, and the immateriality of light. Translating this into print demands a choreography of images, pacing, and tonal restraint that preserves the contemplative quality of his installations. Pace’s publications on Turrell succeed by treating light as narrative: sequencing photographs to simulate the slow modulation of luminosity, selecting paper stocks that hold shadow with unexpected depth, and allowing negative space to echo the silence of his environments.

For those who like their art with a pulse… and perhaps a splash.

Nitsch, by contrast, confronts the corporeal and the visceral. His books require a radically different lexicon - one capable of holding intensity without descending into spectacle. Pace’s approach here has been to foreground structure and clarity: careful colour calibration, robust printing processes, and thoughtful contextual scholarship that situates the work without dulling its raw immediacy. The result is a publication that feels as grounded and physical as the performances themselves, yet still shaped by editorial restraint.

Across these varied projects, a common thread emerges: Pace does not impose a signature aesthetic on its books. Instead, each publication becomes a negotiation between scholarship, materials, and the artist’s conceptual world. Sustainability concerns influence print-run decisions; international collaborations bring cultural nuance; and choices in typography, paper, and binding become tools for translating atmosphere, movement, and energy into a physical form. Some books lean toward the collectible, others toward documentary clarity - yet always with intention.

It is within this rich terrain that Gillian Canavan, Editor-in-Chief of Pace Publishing, guides the imprint’s direction. Her leadership is shaped by a deep respect for the history of the gallery’s publications, a curiosity for new literary and artistic voices, and a belief in the enduring value of the physical art book in a digital age where screens cannot replicate the intimacy of turning a page.

In the interview that follows, Canavan shares insight into this balancing act - how Pace cultivates its editorial identity, collaborates with artists and designers, and continues to expand the possibilities of what an art book can be.

How does Pace Publishing strike the balance between scholarly depth and creating books that feel like art objects in their own right?

Shaping the art world, one exquisitely crafted book at a time.

Gillian Canavan: We approach each project individually and look to the artwork itself for direction in the scope and design. One example that comes to mind is Torkwase Dyson: A Liquid Belonging. We worked closely with the artist on this book to determine the design and table of contents. It includes written contributions by Dionne Brand, LeRonn P. Brooks, Saidiya Hartman, Jaleh Mansoor, Mabel Wilson, and the artist herself.

Each text has its own design identity - one printed on colored acetate, one on a smaller sheet size - and they all fit into this construction of a book that recalls some of the forms Dyson uses in her works.

What defines the editorial voice of Pace Publishing, and how does it distinguish itself within the landscape of gallery-led publishing?

Gillian Canavan: Pace has a long history of working with scholars and art historians on books. The gallery has been publishing since a few years after it opened in 1960. This lineage of scholarship is important to our imprint, and we have been lucky enough to work with some scholars over multiple decades, or reprint texts that we commissioned in the ‘70s.

We balance these scholarly contributions with more literary texts by writers with whom we’re creating new relationships. So many galleries are making beautiful and important books, and I think our history of working hand-in-hand with artists is something we always come back to when it comes to our publishing identity.

When dealing with artists whose work is rooted in experience or atmosphere, how do you approach the challenge of translating that into the medium of print?

Gillian Canavan: For this we really look to design and the materials we are using in a book.

Does a certain paper or color or typeface evoke the feeling of the artwork?

Sometimes it’s also about the flow of contents or the way the photography works to translate an experience or movement through space. Other times we think about how the words appear on the page and experiment with typesetting to evoke a certain feeling or atmosphere. We balance this while also maintaining focus on the physicality of the printed medium.

Collaboration seems integral to your process - how do curators, artists, and designers shape the evolution of a publication? Have there been moments where an unexpected idea changed the final outcome?

Gillian Canavan: We have a small team here, so we work closely with one another and with the artists. It’s truly a collaborative process through and through, and, as with anything, there are sometimes revelations or ideas that come up that impact the way forward. Sometimes that looks like changing the binding or cover design or adding a text or suite of images.

With readers and collectors across continents, how do international perspectives inform your design, tone, and editorial direction?

Gillian Canavan: We recently made our first fully bilingual publication, Calder: Un effet du japonais, for an exhibition of Alexander Calder’s works that was on view in Tokyo.

Other publications have included texts in translation, and for another project we made an entire companion book in translation. We try our best to engage as many different perspectives as possible across our output, from international designers and printers to writers, curators, and editors.

Many of your books inhabit the space between documentation and collectible object. How do you decide where on that spectrum a project should sit?

Gillian Canavan: Pace has a long history of interesting and considered design. It’s so fun to be able to work within that space, but ultimately it depends on the artist and the artwork.

Some artists approach bookmaking as an extension of their work and are in a moment where they want to be more experimental or push the boundaries of their book. Other times, it makes sense to create something that sits more classically on a bookshelf, both literally and figuratively.

How do questions of sustainability influence your production methods while preserving the tactile and visual richness your publications are known for?

Gillian Canavan: Print run considerations have a big impact on sustainability. Ensuring we are printing exactly what we need means we are using less material and energy in the book’s production and delivery.

We have to shrink wrap each of our books for their distribution, but at the most recent New York Art Book Fair we saw a publisher using a more earth-friendly wrap, and we’re excited to explore this kind of development!  

In an increasingly digital world, what do you think a physical art book can still do that no screen can replicate?

Gillian Canavan: There’s just something about holding a book and flipping the pages that you can never get from a screen. Personally, I also always turn to books as gifts; a digital object doesn’t have the same effect.

Looking ahead, what kinds of projects, artists, or ideas are you most excited to explore through the lens of Pace Publishing?

Gillian Canavan: We’re working on a facsimile of an artist’s notebook that we’re very excited about! This year we’re making books with a few artists for the first time, which is always really fun. 

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Words and questions by AW.

Answers courtesy of Gillian Canavan.

Photos courtesy of Pace Gallery and Fred Wilson.