Disfigurative art
On the one hand, I admire Brian Dettmer’s art. It’s beautiful and striking.
But on the other hand, it involves maiming books.
When I was made aware of Dettmer’s work by my friend Doug Hackney, I responded, “Destroying books? Who is this guy, ISIS?” Because that’s the way I feel about it. (And them.) Doug responded that it was a tough call for him as well.
But — because art lovers are almost assuredly book lovers too, and what book lover can delight in seeing a book get cut up? — perhaps that visceral reaction is precisely the point.
Here. Judge for yourself.
March 3rd, 2015 at 9:54 pm
I GUESS it’s art. Not sure I want it in my public library…
March 3rd, 2015 at 10:03 pm
I think it IS your public library.
March 4th, 2015 at 1:30 am
As a bibliophile, book collector and writer I find this…..
Not bad!
Dettmer seems to be using brand new books, not hard-to-find tomes, and as the fate of most new books is to be recycled as pulp anyway, I have no problems with it.
And some of this stuff ain’t bad.