Cara Barer is a page curler. She also happens to be a photographer.
Her Dimensions and Of Words, Paper, and Shapes series are are among the finest examples of biblio-photography.
How does she find her subjects:
Barer realized that she owned many books that were “no longer of use to me, or for that matter, anyone else. Would I ever need “Windows 95?” she says.
What next:
“As I begin the process, I first consider the contents of each volume.” Then
the books go into the “bathtub for a few hours” and emerge with “a new shape and purpose. She “uses everything from hair rollers to Velcro to manipulate them into the desired forms.”
Her goal:
“To blur the line between objects, sculpture, and photography”
The work of Abelardo Morell comes to mind when viewing Barer’s images though Barer’s work seems more intimate. Her photographs also exude a surreal sensuality that bring a comfort not always found in images of altered books.
Barer received an Honorable mention from the Aperture Foundation for their Summer 2006
Portfolio Pick.
Thanks to kottke.org for the lead