brian dettmer: book dissections

‘new books of knowledge’ by brian dettmer, 2009 (altered set of vintage encyclopedias) image courtesy of the artist and packer schopf gallery

in addition to melting old cassette tapes, atlanta based artist brian dettmer also has a penchant for dissecting old books to make one of a kind creations. much like cassettes, dettmer observed how books are becoming a dying vessel for content in the internet age. he points out, ‘by altering pre-existing materials and shifting functions, new and unexpected roles of old materials emerge.’ dettmer begins to create these dissected book by sealing their edges and slowly carving out his creations. using surgical tools he reveals certain elements and hides others. ‘the completed pieces expose new relationships of a book’s internal elements exactly where they have been since their original conception.’ dettmer is currently showing at toomey tourell in san francisco.

http://www.briandettmer.com

‘new books of knowledge’ (detail) by brian dettmer, 2009 (altered set of vintage encyclopedias) image courtesy of the artist and packer schopf gallery

‘full set of funk’ (detail) by brian dettmer, 2009 (altered set of vintage  encyclopedias) image courtesy of the artist and packer schopf gallery

l: ‘new universal’ by brian dettmer, 2007 image courtesy of the artist and mito gallery r:‘modern painters’ by brian dettmer, 2008 image courtesy of the artist and kinz + tillou fine art

l:‘core 6’ by brian dettmer, 2007 image courtesy of the artist and kinz + tillou fine art r:‘in search of adam’ by brian dettmer, 2009 image courtesy of the artist and kinz + tillou fine art

‘household physicians’ by brian dettmer, 2008 image courtesy of the artist and kinz + tillou fine art

‘world series’ by brian dettmer, 2009 image courtesy of the artist and kinz + tillou fine art

‘doubleday’ by brian dettmer, 2009 (altered set of vintage encyclopedias) image courtesy of the artist and toomey tourell fine art

‘doubleday’ (detail) by brian dettmer, 2009 (altered set of vintage encyclopedias) image courtesy of the artist and toomey tourell fine art