Art Made From Books: Altered, Sculpted, Carved, Transformed.
Edited by Laura Heyenga • Preface by Brian Dettmer • Introduction by Alyson Kuhn
The latest compilation on the blossoming genre of art made from books comes to us from Chronicle Books. Over 25 artists are featured in this well produced book featuring over 200 photos and a nifty looking exposed sewn spine.
detail of a piece left by Anonymous
From Doug Beube, an early artist to transform the book, to the Anonymous book artist who began peppering Scotland with beautiful book sculptures in 2011, Art Made From Books is a visual journey through the work of the A-list artists working with books today – Su Blackwell, Mike Stilkey, Georgia Russell, Guy Laramee, Brian Dettmer, Cara Barer and on and on…, many of whom have been featured here over the years, make up this strong offering.
Though as Brain Dettmer acknowledges in his preface the “book is no longer king of the information ecosystem” it is fast becoming a material of choice for many contemporary artists and, lucky for us, we should be seeing amazing work like the pieces included in Art Made From Books for many years to come.
Chronicle is offering 25% and free ground shipping on this essential reference for anyone interested in this exciting genre, art with books.
Vest of Knowledge by Doug Beube, 2008. “Sixty-four altered volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica become a new kind of loaded but undetonated World Book.”
Georgia Russell. The Story of Art
Mike Stilkey, The Piano Has Been Drinking, 2010
Lisa Kokin, How to Be, 2010 (detail). Self-help book spines
Su Blackwell, Red Riding Hood, 2010
Previously on Book Patrol:
Edinburgh’s Phantom Book Artist Strikes Again
Edinburgh’s Phantom Book Artist Takes a Detour
Banksy of the Book Art World
A Book Artist Takes to the Stage: Su Blackwell as Set Designer
The Book Painting of Mike Stilkey
Pop Surrealism Meets the Book
Books on Books: The Painted Version
The Book Gods of Contemporary Chinese Art