As an artist working with books to create my work, I often get asked if there are many other artists who create altered books. The answer is, yes there are. I’ve made a point of seeking them out and even have a google alert for “altered books” to see what comes up daily.
Since I often get sent links to the work of artists I’m already familiar with, I thought I’d highlight some of them here. It’s amazing to see the variety of ideas and styles of work each artist has developed in working with old books as their medium.
Brian Dettmer
Brian Dettmer describes his work as “book autopsies” as he seals the book and carefully cuts away page by page to reveal interesting elements of the book.
Su Blackwell
Su Blackwell uses books to create beautifully detailed diorama’s inspired by fairy tales and folklore.
Mike Stilkey
Mike Stilkey is a painter and illustrator who uses stacks of books as a canvas for his whimsical cast of characters.
Kylie Stillman
Kylie Stillman creates much of her work by cutting into stacks of books or paper, and focuses on imagery of birds and nature.
Cara Barer
Cara Barer is a photographer who documents the sculptural pieces she creates from soaking and manipulating discarded books.
More to come in part 2 of the altered book artist round up…