Amazing Landscapes Carved from Old Books
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The incredible carved landscapes of artist Guy Laramée speak volumes. Literally. Using standard manual electric tools, Laramée sandblasts the edges of old books, dictionaries and encyclopedias, transforming them into breathtaking landscapes. You need not read a word to appreciate the beauty in his work.
Laramée’s talents extend across various disciplines, including painting, composing, sculpting, stage writing and stage directing. The multidisciplinary artist holds the belief that knowledge is gained through erosion rather than accumulation.
His artistic statement explains:
“So I carve landscapes out of books and I paint romantic landscapes. Mountains of disused knowledge return to what they really are: mountains. They erode a bit more and they become hills. Then they flatten and become fields where apparently nothing is happening. Piles of obsolete encyclopedias return to that which does not need to say anything, that which simply IS. Fogs and clouds erase everything we know, everything we think we are.”
To create the sculptures, the books are pressed by clamps so that they become as hard as wood. His intricate landscapes can take anywhere from two days to four months.
Among Laramée’s works are two series entitled Biblios and The Great Wall, which represent the degradation of human nature.
Learn more about Guy Laramée here.