Brian Dettmer

By Emily Schranz

Wagnalls Wheel, 2010, Altered Set of Encyclopedias, 9" x 20-1/2" x 20-1/2" - Image Courtesy of the Artist and Toomey Tourell Fine

Art

He received his BA in art, design, and art history from Chicago’s Columbia College in 1997.

He creates “Book Autopsies” out of discarded books.

He was born in 1974 in Illinois.

Totem, 2010, Altered Set of Vintage Encyclopedias, 26-5/8" x 22-1/2" x 10-1/4" - Image Courtesy of the

Artist and MiTO Gallery

Dettmer only chooses non-fiction vintage books.

He incorporates the books topic into each piece. For example:

The definition of totem is: an object serving as the emblem of a family/clan and often serving as a reminder of its ancestry

How does this piece work as a totem?

What is a totem?

The Story of Man, 2010, Altered Book, 9-5/8" x 7-7/8" x 1-5/8" - Image Courtesy of the Artist and Saltworks

Compiled Upon a New Plan, 2010, Altered Books, 10-1/2" x 10" x 10-3/4" - Image Courtesy of the Artist

and Packer Schopf

He begins his process by locating imagery and text that he likes

He uses a xacto knife in a subtractive process to create

negative space.

Library of American History (detail), 2012, hardcover books, acrylic varnish, 99" x 19" x 19" - Image Courtesy of the Artist and Toomey Tourell Fine Art

House of Tongues, 2010, Altered Book, 7-3/4" x 14" x 10-1/4" -

Image Courtesy of the Artist and MiTO Gallery

Encyclopedias of World Travel, 2010, Altered Book, 8 1/2" x 7 3/4" x 1 1/2" -

Image Courtesy of the Artist and Saltworks

Compiled Upon a New Plan, 2010, Altered Books, 10-1/2" x 10" x 10-3/4" - Image Courtesy of the Artist and Packer Schopf

Grolier, 2005, Altered set of Vintage Encyclopedias, 16"(h) x 9.5"(w) x 7"(d) - Image Courtesy of the Artist and MiTO

Gallery

The Household Physicians, 2008, Altered Books, 10-1/2" x 8" x 12" - Image Courtesy of the Artist and Kinz + Tillou Fine Art

Emergency Exit (detail), 2012, paperback books, acrylic varnish, 82-1/2" x 29-1/2" x 2" - Image Courtesy of the Artist and Saltworks

What comments do you think this artist is saying about Books?

Video

Brian Dettmer (2013). Bio. [ONLINE] Available at: http://briandettmer.com/. [Last Accessed e.g. 31 August 11].

CBS News (May 15, 2011). Artist makes high-priced sculptures from old books. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7366166n. [Last Accessed e.g. 31 August 11].

Stewart, Garrett, (2011). Bookwork: Medium to Object to Concept to Art. 1st ed. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press.

WebUrbanist (e.g. 2011). 15 of the World's Most CreativePapercraft Artists. [ONLINE] Available at: http://weburbanist.com/2008/12/02/papercraft-creative-paper-art-design-sculpture/. [Last Accessed e.g. 31 August 11].