I loved to read for most of my childhood and all of what I remember growing up. My books clearly show this with there cracked covers, worn pages, the writing and highlight of favorite passages. When told that the material we would use would be books at first I was worried then exciting ideas started to pop up in my mind this could turn out to be an exciting piece as long as I have the right book and the right content.
I have always been interested in European history, the romance, the pain, the difference in culture and how even though we still are so different part of American history comes from European History. So as I was working and thinking about the books I brought to use I just started to play with paper and came up with my final project. For me European History is more then words and dates with events and people. What it is a story that not ever complete in my mind and that is what I wanted to show the viewers of this piece.
Each piece of this sculpture represents a piece of history. The book that is sill together is the platform of history. History is made by history. The past is made the past because we continue to move forward. The Torn paper symbolizes the individual that create history some pieces bigger and more significant than others. The bell with the pictures is the present it tells us what is happening now and lets the past flow out. The rope of paper is the words that are used to create and explain history but it is also the path to the future. The notches of paper tell us that at some point the future will become the present and the past.
It is often said that we would be nothing without a past history. This is true but the statement should say we would be nothing without the past of others history. We must figure out our past and then move on and try and see the past of others.
Brian Dettmer was born 1974 he is considered an American Contemporary artist. He is most know for the work he does with alteration of media—such as old books, maps, record albums, and cassette tapes—to create new, transformed works of 3D sculptures.
Through the years Dettmer has been able to master manipulating paper through cutting, folding, bending, rolling, and stacking. He not only uses books but also cassette tapes on skeletons.
The first art piece shown above is New International Dictionary, 2003. The detail work in this piece is fantastic the tiny the detail cuts make you just want to play with the book. Also its makes you think about do I know all the definitions to these pictures. Now I know the next words are a shock coming out of my mouth but I honestly feel that the piece is too busy I could use some more natural back ground of words to balance the pictures.
The second art piece is New Books of Knowledge, 2009. The color in this piece makes the work of the last one look so dull and vintage while the other piece looks new and bright. The composition of this book adds more of a playful balance that fun to see and you don’t often see in books or sculptures. Dettmer has this great ability to create beautiful pieces and still maintain the integrity of an entire book. He uses movement, balance and line all for his benefit.
His works make me wish that I had a skill hand like his to cut so strait and perfect. If his work wasn’t as perfect as it is I don’t believe it would look half as good.
He creates amazing pieces but I still feel that his photographs have some room for improvement I want to see more of his art work and you can on the web site that I mentioned.
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