Barnett began making philosophic artist’s books in the 1980s, using the medium as “a means of extending his formal vocabulary beyond the article, the monograph, and even the dialogue.” His books play with the form his texts take, merging reading with the physical manipulation of paper. The “inner necessity” of the text dictates the design, using a form that might at first appear meaningless but is a product of Barnett’s planning. Inexpensive printing, which sometimes recreates handwritten text, and digital photography are the backbone of his books. His works encourage a tactile experience with handmade elements including folded triangle-panels and glued or strung bindings that obscure the gutter. Barnett guides his reader through a Socratic dialogue—he facilitates philosophical questions revolving around process, time, and understanding as his reader discovers the ways in which sequence and action might transform and create meaning.