MANILA, Philippines – While books are used mainly for reading, they can also be a medium to create art. Book art is a new way to bring life back to old, forgotten books.
Book art, primarily a late 20th century form, uses books as medium to make art. Many artists use books salvaged from thrift book shops and dumpsters, phone books, musical scores, journals or magazines to create a masterpiece that will give new life to books.
Book installation art, for instance, aims to catch attention. Artist Miler Lagos glues books together to create installations like domes and towers. Los Angeles-based artist Mike Stilkey stacks book together and paints over their spines to create surreal masterpieces. His work ‘’Discarded Romance,’’ in fact, is the stunning centerpiece at the Fully Booked branch in Bonifacio Global City.
On the other hand, sculptures are not only done in clay, stone, or steel. Some artists use books to create sculpted book masterpieces. Guy Laramee from Canada sculpts mountain scenes and famous landmarks from a series of books like encyclopedias and dictionaries. Brian Dettmer, known for his 3d book art, seals and cuts through large books exposing select images and texts to create three-dimensional works that reveal new or alternative interpretations of the books. Jacqueline Rush Lee is a book sculptor from Northern Ireland who emphasizes the beauty of how books are bound.
Some artists shred and cut out books to make something abstract. Artist Georgia Russell from Scotland slashes, cuts and dissects books, music scores, prints, newspapers, maps and photographs to create ornaments and whimsical paper works. Su Blackwell, known for her paper pop-up creations, uses a scalpel to cut the pieces of her art and glues the pages of the books to create a miniature diorama with lights in wood and glass boxes.
While these artists may have given old forgotten books a new purpose and meaning, readers can still have books serve their original purpose: to teach, to entertain, and to transport readers to both unknown and known worlds.
For 35 years now, the Manila International Book Fair celebrates books in all its purposes and functions, with the help of the entire local book publishing industry. The Book Fair has evolved from an event for the publishing industry and the academe to one of the most-awaited exhibitions for all sorts of readers.
The MIBF runs from Sept. 17-21 at the SMX Convention Center, Seashell Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. MIBF is organized by Primetrade Asia, Inc. in partnership with Asian Catholic Communicators, Inc., Book Development Association of the Philippines, Philippine Booksellers Association, Inc., and the Overseas Publishers Representatives Organization of the Philippines. For details, call 896-0661 or 896-0682, or send an e-mail to bookfair@primetradeasia.com.