Re-purposing books into art
Old and heavy books always seem like a mysterious and infinite well of wisdom and imagination for us ... There are romances, populist fiction, male adventure and self-help ephemera that people have stopped reading, previously destined for the pulping machine, now rescued and given new life as works of art.
However, it is so much more than pages full of words.
It would be wonderful to give old books a second life. Some artists make it happen by turning old tomes, dictionaries and encyclopedias into admirable sculptures.
We found a few amazing examples of that kind sculptures.
Get inspired by ideas below
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Georgia Russell’s works, which are mostly placed into a jar, are often associated with carefully crafted books and leaf-like papercuts. A genuine blend, for sure.
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If you aren’t too squeamish about artists using books for something other than reading, you’ll appreciate the way that Guy Laramee literally carves into old texts and excavates something new.
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You’ve probably seen the worldwide art project in which someone fills in holes and gaps with LEGOs… but have you considered that books could serve the same purpose? Ishmael Randall Weeks uses books in a variety of pieces, but this simple piece Concreto needs no ornamentation.
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Bethany Bickley is a creative problem solver who brings words and visuals together to tell a story with impact and purpose. “If there are no visuals, I create them”, she says in a statement.
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In her pieces, paper figures and objects are coming to life. Some of her works make us feel like we assist in a scene of a book’s secret life, where discussions are animated and life blossoming through the paper.
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A sculpture with beauty and elegance crafted in. It was found at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. This is for you in support of libraries, words, ideas… & festivals.
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The best thing about a great book is being able to visualize the written tales in your mind, but British artist Emma Taylor takes storytelling to the next level by making the scenes pop from their pages.
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She crafts incredible sculptures from old books she finds at charity and antique stores, giving discarded titles a new lease of life.
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“The sculpture is my creative outlet to highlight an appreciation of the little things in life,” Taylor tells My Modern Met.
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“A good novel, a beautiful tree, a flower in full bloom.” From a ship sailing through paper waves to forests springing up from centerfolds, each artfully crafted piece is inspired by the stories in the original book.
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“With my scissors, glue and paper, and led by the title of the books I chance upon in antique and charity shops,” the artist explains, “I am able to recreate plants, animals, architecture and literary scenes with all the details I love on a manageable scale.”
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“Books are dying. There are so many that go to the garbage. It’s crazy. If I can paint on them, I’m giving them a second chance.”
— Mike Stilkey via Los Angeles Times -
Mike Stilkey, one of 40 'cultural leaders' invited by the WEF, going against the hi-tech grain that dominates the conference. Exhibited at the main conference centre, his eight-metre-tall installation is painted on the spine of 8,000 disused tomes.
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The books alone are a barometer of the pace of change and how fast we are moving. In the past, those were the primary sources of information and repositories of knowledge.
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Today, books are dying and knowledge is readily available at the push of a button or the click of a keyboard.
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Specific installations & paintings exclusively for iPic Theaters in New York, New Jersey, Miami, Los Angeles and Houston.
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