An Author's Nightmare?
Book sculpture, altered book making, and book surgery, are just some of the names given to art that is made by using books as the primary material for the artwork. Books may be carved up, sliced, glued, pages cut, folded, burnt, or any other number of techniques may be applied to create book art. While this style of art has many admirers, it’s not a form of art that is respected by all, with some people finding the ‘destruction’ of books to be quite confronting. I LOVE the written word. I love books and they are certainly things to be treasured. For this reason I do understand why people have issues with book art. I’m a little torn on the subject as I can also appreciate some of the beautiful works of art that have been transformed from books. If artists can revive and give new life to old neglected books that have been discarded and not likely to be read again and enjoyed then I believe this is a good thing. It’s not as though individual titles published are generally one-offs anyways. Right? Most have large print runs. Right? Right. Yes, I’m ok with this. Just so long as none of my beloved books are used I’m even more ok with it.
This piece I absolutely adore! It’s called Byrd House and is by Sarah Rebekah Byrd Mizer. To view more amazing book art by Sarah click here.
This is Melbourne artist Nicholas Jones in his studio with some samples of his book sculptures. I’m somebody who will rant furiously about dog-eared page corners in books, yet surprisingly enough I do love these intricately folded book pages. To read a wonderful interview with Nicholas Jones on The Design Files blog, click here.
"The only important thing in a book is the meaning it has for you"
- W. Somerset Maugham
This piece I absolutely adore! It’s called Byrd House and is by Sarah Rebekah Byrd Mizer. To view more amazing book art by Sarah click here.
This is Melbourne artist Nicholas Jones in his studio with some samples of his book sculptures. I’m somebody who will rant furiously about dog-eared page corners in books, yet surprisingly enough I do love these intricately folded book pages. To read a wonderful interview with Nicholas Jones on The Design Files blog, click here.
"The only important thing in a book is the meaning it has for you"
- W. Somerset Maugham
Comments
You dog-ear your books? Aaaarrgh! Well don't be asking to ever borrow any of my books missy!
Of course, if a book is all ripped and would be thrown, what a wonderful use for it..Love the house..and Nicholas Jones work..Beautiful..
I use to fold magazines to make a choir for Christmas..Used Styrofoam heads..Got the idea from Better Homes mag.
Cool featured artists and fantastic quote!
Here's the link to my post...
http://lazytcrochet.blogspot.com/2008/04/suddenly.html
The related issues of painting antique furniture and cutting vintage textiles come up in my line of work often...so I've thought about it a lot.
With books...as much as I love them...I can't keep them all. (And yes most of mine are dog-eared. But I'm doing better since M.Kate sent me the new bookmark I love so much.)So, if a book is falling apart or headed for a landfill...it is better to do something with it. Of course I would like everyone on the planet have as many books as they can manage, before any are altered. But, after that what else can you do with them?
The great thing about all art, including altered book art, is that it stimulates these types of discussions! And that's a good thing!!
Thanks for the great post!!
I love book arts, I think it is a beautiful way to reuse and repurpose the written word, the illustration, and/or the object itself. I too, at first, struggled with the concept of taking apart something that I had always been taught, and taught my children, to respect. But soon I saw the beauty and the wisdom in this art form, and now have deep appreciation for it.
Great features and I enjoyed teh quote.
I see so many books not being read and if art can be created.. CREATE!
Thanks for the inspiration! Kayce
Now I do have some pretty old, thin, beat up looking, out of date, encyclopedias that I have boxed up that would be great for projects like the Byrd House. And even the book sculptures. Don't ask me why I've kept them, maybe for a great post like this to come along? :)
I like your blog, very inspiring... I study art and sometimes reading about it on the net is depressing (I guess that's the atmosphere at school), but blogs like these always lift my spirit!
sharon
Paz
great post!
I personally think there's much more to concern myself with than what to do with a book that may or may never be read again.
I love book art. I don't see it as destruction of the lituary world.
I'm sure it is keeping many a book out of the landfills.
'Book Art' is a wonderful thing - I think it is rarely about destroying precious books, but more about celebrating and exploring beautiful forms and patterns that can be found and created in discarded old books. The brittle yellow paper, gorgeous cover patterns, funny old stories... love it!
And thanks for the link to Nicholas Jones, I love some of the forms created in his cut books, as well as the quote at the top of his home page.
Thanks for another great post :)