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Seven Artists Crack Open the Art of Printed Matter in ‘Bookworks’

Books have beguiled us since they first emerged in the form of ancient scrolls and codices around the world. The way we access, utilize, and enjoy reading material has seen technological transformation over the centuries, from Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in the 15th century, to the first dictionary produced in 1532, to the advent of affordable pocket paperbacks in the early 20th century. Paper tomes have had an immeasurable impact on society and our…

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Art

By Carving Into a Text, Artist Guy Laramée Finds a New Way to Excavate Meaning

There's a well-known saying that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. For Guy Laramée (previously), though, a books' contents aren't the only important aspect either. The Montreal-based artist repurposes encyclopedic volumes and series of dictionaries to create topographic carvings that dip into and excavate the pages, framing the physical object as a work of art in itself. Laramée's latest projects include a piece with minuscule carved steps scaling a mountainside and another with moss-covered ridges jutting up from low valleys. His work titled “Journey to the Center…

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Art

Mountainous Landforms Top Carved Book Configurations by Guy Laramée

Guy Laramée (previously) erects topographic specimen from collections of vintage books. His carved sculptures imitate the mountains of knowledge once physically collected in books rather than compiled via digital means. In this series of new works from 2017-2018 the Montreal-based artist incorporates traditional methods of book organization as integral parts of the sculptures— such as box set containers, simple wood stands, and metal bookends reminiscent of public libraries. Laramée's work is included in the group exhibition "Unbound" at TwoRivers Gallery in Prince George, British Columbia through March 31, 2019. You can see…

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Art

Magnificent New Carved Book Landscapes and Architecture by Guy Laramée

Montreal-based artist Guy Laramée (previously) recently unveiled a new body of sculptural work, highlighting his evolving ability to excavate mountainous landscapes, cavernous hollows, and sloping watersheds from the dense pages of repurposed books. One of his favorite mediums are bound stacks of old dictionaries and encyclopedias which he carves using a method of sandblasting to which he later applies oil paints, inks, pigments and dry pastels, crayon, adhesives, and beeswax. When photographed up close the works appear almost realistic, as if the viewer is looking at aerial or satellite topographies of Earth. You can explore more of Laramée's latest work…

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Art

New Snowcapped Mountains and Swirling Vortexes Excavated from Vintage Books by Guy Laramée

Continuing to amaze us with his elaborate dictionary and encyclopedia carvings, Guy Laramée's (previously here and here) newest works feature deep caverns and valleys that retreat hundreds of pages down into his excavated books. One in particular, "V," appears like a snowcapped vortex circling down into an endless pit. Viewing this piece, or any of his mountainous works, it's hard to imagine…

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Art

Bird Portraits Painted On Secondhand Books Featuring Their Native Brazilian Habitats Carved from the Pages

Guy Laramée's (previously) new series Onde Elles Moran (Where They Live) captures the mystique of the native birds of the Brazilian region Serra do Corvo Branco (Range of the White Raven) through both portrait and carved landscape. The series contains nine sculptures sourced from secondhand bookstores within the country—tomes of the Classicos Jackson which is a series of literature classics published in the ‘50s in Brazil. The rich linen covers inspired the palettes of many of the portraits, the original colors working their way into Laramée's artistic remodeling. Although Laramée had originally planned to photograph the vast canyons of the region during his 4-month visit,…

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