Many old books simply get thrown out—even by libraries. Artists have found a better second life for unwanted books.



Jonathan Callan of London – The Defrauder.

joseebienvenugallery.com



Jonathan Callen uses large screws to hold the books together.

joseebienvenugallery.com



Jonathan Callen – The theoretical assumptions of management, 2008.

Bio: www.artnet.com Kudlek van der Grinten Galerie.



Cara Barer of Houston, Texas.

“No important books have been injured during the making of any of these photographs.”



Cara Barer

Whirligig 2006, 36” x 36” “I realized I owned many books that were no longer of use to me, or for that matter, anyone else. Would I ever need “Windows 95?” After soaking it in the bathtub for a few hours, it had a new shape and purpose.” www.carabarer.com



Psigologica biologica, (2012) by

Barbara Wildenboer barbarawildenboer.com



Book art by Ekaterina Panikanova, born in St. Petersburg in 1975, lives and works in Rome and St. Petersburg. www.ekaterinapanikanova.com



Book art by Ekaterina Panikanova.

www.ekaterinapanikanova.com



Matej Krén

Book Cell, Centro de Arte Moderna – Foundation Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon, Portugal, 2006. The artist has done numerous such book installations. www.matejkren.cz/en



Matej Krén

Inside of above Book Cell.

The artist currently lives and works in Prague.

Photo by Ferran Moreno Lanza, www.flickr.com



Daniel Essig

Asheville, North Carolina. Uses found books that have mangled spines and covers but good quality paper, and he uses that paper in his work. Often, as in this work, he uses old Bibles with exceptionally thin paper, which has a nice drape and flow. This work is a single structure that can be hung on the wall. danielessig.com



Book art by an anynomous artist found in Edinburgh. From March to November of 2011, ten small book sculptures with tags saying “In support of libraries, books, words, and ideas” were found in various book-friendly locations in Scotland.



Book art by an anynomous artist found in Edinburgh. From March to November of 2011, ten small book sculptures with tags saying “In support of libraries, books, words, and ideas” were found in various book-friendly locations in Scotland. schoollibrarybeyondsurvival.wordpress.com



Buddha carved from books.

Image courtesy of the artist / Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art.

Long-Bin Chen (Taiwanese, b.1964) halsey.cofc.edu



Indian Buddha carved from phone books.

By Long-Bin Chen (Taiwanese, b.1964)

artnet.com



Book carvings from the culture warrior series.

Long-Bin Chen (Taiwanese, b.1964)

Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art.

halsey.cofc.edu



Book sculpture from the icon series.

Long-Bin Chen (Taiwanese, b.1964)

Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art.

halsey.cofc.edu



Wim Botha

Born in 1974, graduated from the University of Pretoria in 1996, and currently lives in Cape Town. Pic source Dealer: stevenson.info



Pablo Lehmann – Dialogues – Intricate book cut outs – which are then photographed.

www.pablolehmann.com.ar



Close up of Pablo’s work.



Pablo Lehmann – Ties 1

Argentinian. Professor at IUNA, Buenos Aires.

www.pablolehmann.com.ar



I Could Tell You,

2011, Paperback books, acrylic medium, 7” x 95” x 3″

Image Courtesy of the Artist and Packer Schopf.

briandettmer.com



Close up of similar to above.

By Brian Dettmer, briandettmer.com



Brian Dettmer – briandettmer.com

Formerly of Chicago, now living in Atlanta.



Brian Dettmer – briandettmer.com

“I begin with an existing book and seal its edges, creating an enclosed vessel full of unearthed potential. I cut into the surface of the book and dissect through it from the front. I work with knives, tweezers and other surgical tools to carve one page at a time, exposing each page while cutting around ideas and images of interest. Nothing inside the books is relocated or implanted, only removed. Images and ideas are revealed to expose a book’s hidden, fragmented memory. The completed pieces expose new relationships of a book’s internal elements exactly where they have been since their original conception.”



Brian Dettmer – briandettmer.com



Brian Dettmer – close up.

briandettmer.com



Brian Dettmer – close up of door below.

briandettmer.com



Emergency Exit

Paperback books with acrylic varnish, 2012.

by Brian Dettmer briandettmer.com



Brian Dettmer www.briandettmer.com

See the excellent video interview with the artist below…



Censored Book, 1974.

Book tied in rope, nailed, gessoed and painted.

By Barton Benes. centerforbookarts.org



Biblios

Guy Laramee: www.guylaramee.com



Grand Larousse (2010)

Guy Laramee: www.guylaramee.com



Historia das americas (2009)

Guy Laramee: www.guylaramee.com



Jorinde and Jorindel, 2010

by Su Blackwell. sublackwell.co.uk



Book Sculpture, Drowning from Obsession

By Thomas Wightman, www.thomaswightman.co.uk



Book Sculpture, Derailing my train of Thought

By Thomas Wightman, thomaswightman.co.uk



Book Sculpture Derailing my train of Thought, 2013.

By Thomas Wightman, thomaswightman.co.uk



An altered book or “book excavation” Skulduggery by James Allen.

“I opened this tome of DC Comics somewhere in the middle, laid it flat, and cut down through the pages of both the front and back covers. Through the right panel we see the distant past and as the pages go deeper we see more and more recent images. While the left panel shows the most recent images and the deeper pages reveal images from further in the past. In this way the pages of the book show a condensed history of all the 75 years of DC Comics all in one vignette.” 23sandy.com



Herder 9 by Alexander Korzer-Robinson

cut encyclopedia, 1930, 25 x 17 x 6cm.

White space and words cut away, “an encyclopedia can become a window into an alternate world, much like lived reality becomes its alternate in remembered experience. These books, having been stripped of their utilitarian value by the passage of time, regain new purpose.” alexanderkorzerrobinson.co.uk



Rune Guneriussen – Norway

It´s common knowledge, 2009, edition of 5+1, 187cmx150cm, c-print

www.runeguneriussen.no



Maurizio Cattelan

Oh Mariana, Mariana, Mariana

www.nymag.com



Robert The

‘Reader’s Digest’ Cake frosted with wax, 1998.

www.blogs.walkerart.org Walker Art Center Library’s collection.



Robeert The

Britannaca Book Broom

www.beautifullife.info



Robert The

‘Poetic Justice’

www.bookgun.com



White Undulation by Amy Genser

Rolled paper.

www.amygenser.com



Nick Georgiou

Bon Papier.

www.myhumancomputer.blogspot.com



Nick Georgiou

The Happy Shaman

www.myhumancomputer.blogspot.com



Nick Georgiou

The Meeting (in Nick’s Studio) of newspaper people.

www.myhumancomputer.blogspot.com



Nick Georgiou

Of Queens, NY – currently living in Tucson, AZ

Nick says his art is inspired by the death of the printed word.

www.myhumancomputer.blogspot.com



The Librarian, 1960, George Herms.

Wooden box, papers, books, loving cup, and painted stool. 57 x 63 x 21 in. Norton Simon Museum, Gift of Molly Barnes. © George Herms. blogs.getty.edu



Jacqueline Rush Lee

‘Stack’ 50″ high, from the Volume series created in 2000. The books are wet, dried, then screwed together into organic and geometric forms.

www.jacquelinerushlee.com



Jacqueline Rush Lee

Slice Trio, from the Volumes series 2001, created in 2000.

www.jacquelinerushlee.com



Alicia Martin

Spanish – Galleria Galica, Italy.

www.galica.it



Alicia Martin

Spanish.

www.blipoint.com



Mike Stilkey

Of Los Angeles. Source. www.mikestilkey.com



Mike Stilkey

Of Los Angeles.

mikestilkey.com



Mike Stilkey The Pipe

2009, ink, colored pencil and lacquer on vintage book pages, 33×24 inches

www.mikestilkey.com



Alex Queral

Carves faces into phonebooks.

Born in Cuba, received an M.F.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. His works have been exhibited in Canada, England, Mexico and throughout the U.S..

www.projectsgallery.com



Yuken Teruya

Based in New York, the artist constructs intricate paper cuttings with various materials such as toilet paper rolls and paper shopping bags. His ideas often reflect the life and history of Okinawa, his homeland.

www.yukenteruyastudio.com



Book Vases by Laura Cahill

Laura uses a band saw – then inserts glass tubes inside for the water. She says “I discovered that the glue in old books make them extremely difficult to recycle.”

Via www.dezeen.com



Waldo Lee, aka WALEE – digital artist/photographer – plays some photoshop games. www.behance.net



Book Bow Tie. Bind some pages in the centre with a piece of leather or fabric. via: no-aesthetic.tumblr.com



Origami Books

Just unfold and read! By Isaac Salazar www.flickr.com/photos/bookofart



Brian Dettmer

TED Video – worth a watch!

Long-Bin Chen

College of Charleston — 2013 Spoleto Festival USA.

Excellent video of sanding and nailing books here: youtube.com

BookLovers – check out this amazing site: bookshelfporn.com