Richard Minsky

For the American criminal, see Richard Allen Minsky.
Richard Minsky
Born January 7, 1947
New York City, USA[1]
Citizenship United States of America
Alma mater Brooklyn College
Brown University[2]
Organization Center for Book Arts
Known for Bookbinding, book art[2]
Home town Hudson, New York, USA[3]
Website
minsky.com

Richard P. Minsky (born January 7, 1947[1]) is an American scholar of bookbinding and a book artist. He is the founder of the Center for Book Arts in New York City.[4]

Background

In 1960, Minsky obtained his first printing press at the age of 13 to replace rubber stamps he had been using.[4] In 1968, he graduated cum laude in economics from Brooklyn College. Minsky was awarded a fellowship at Brown University, where he received his Master's degree in economics. He pursued a Ph.D. at The New School for Social Research, but left after two years to pursue bookbinding, art and music. He studied bookbinding in Providence, Rhode Island with master bookbinder Daniel Gibson Knowlton, whom he met at the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library at Brown University.[2]

The most important thing isn't where you study – it's how good your work is. I don't hire anybody based on their schooling – I look at what they can do.

Richard P. Minsky[2]

In 1974, Minsky founded the Center for Book Arts in Manhattan,[3] the first organization of its kind in the United States dedicated to contemporary interpretations of the book as an art object while preserving traditional practices of the art of the book.[5] In 1978, he was named a US/UK Bicentennial Fellow in Visual Art by the National Endowment for the Arts and the British Council. Minsky stated that he does not believe in talent and that he simply continues to become better at bookbinding through his persistence since his first "awful" attempts in 1968.[2]

In 2004, Yale University Library acquired Minsky's archive of published fine art editions and other works.[6] The Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library at Yale University is hosting an exhibition of 50 years of Minsky's work from August to November 2010.[7]

SLART trademark dispute

In 2007, Minsky founded SLART, a journal about virtual art in Second Life.[8] On July 29, 2008, Minsky filed suit against Linden Lab, the creator of Second Life, because one of its users infringed on his trademark registration of SLART.[9] In September 2008, Linden Lab responded by filing suit with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in an attempt to cancel Minsky's trademark registration.[10] On September 4, 2008, the U.S. District Court of Northern New York granted Minsky a temporary restraining order barring the use of SLART by other Second Life users. The court order from federal judge Lawrence E. Kahn documented Minsky's contention that the term SLART has multiple colloquial or slang meanings, "including a slut’s fart, a fart made while sleeping, and someone who is between a slut and a tart."[11] In October 2008, the court granted a preliminary injunction in Minsky's favor. On October 10, Linden Lab sought to terminate Minsky's Second Life account. On January 22, 2009. the case was settled out of court and the trademark filing was cancelled on April 7, 2009.[12]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Minsky in Bed". Artists Books Online. Retrieved 2010-07-05.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Richard Minsky - Book Artist". Artschools.com. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Richard Minsky exhibition archive". Center for Book Arts. 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Scott Brown (March–April 2005). "Richard Minsky". Fine Books & Collections. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  5. ↑ "About The Center for Book Arts". Center for Book Arts. 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  6. ↑ "Richard Minsky resume". The Book Art of Richard Minsky. 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  7. ↑ "Minsky Exhibition at Yale". Fine Books & Collections. 2010-06-28. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  8. ↑ Hrag Vartanian (2007-03-31). "Art in Second Life, an interview with Richard Minsky". Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  9. ↑ "Minsky v. Linden Research Update". 3D Internet Law. 2008-09-09. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  10. ↑ "Second Life Creator Linden Lab Files Petition to Cancel "SLART" Trademark Registration". Virtually Blind. 2008-09-16. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  11. ↑ Lawrence E. Kahn (2008-09-04). "Richard Minsky d/b/a Slart Enterprises v. Linden Research, Inc. d/b/a Linden Lab, John Doe, Philip Rosedale, Mitchell Kapor, other Does" (PDF). United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
  12. ↑ "Case Analysis: Minsky v. Linden Research, Inc.". Patent Arcade. 2008-06-28. Retrieved 2010-06-28.

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