Brian Dettmer

Dettmer's take on Webster's New International Dictionary, 2nd ed. Photo courtesy of Packer Schopf Gallery.

Brian Dettmer is brilliant! He’s the guy who carves old books into awesome works of art. And I mean AWESOME! Talk about altered books!

Frankly, I’ve never heard of Brian Dettmer before I read “The Cut-Up Artist” in the May/June 2008 issue of Fine Books & Collections, a copy of which I discovered in the bargain bin just last week. Oh, happy find!

Till that moment, my pathetically limited idea of altered books meant painting, tearing, and collaging pages until a book remotely resembled its former self. But to seal a book and dig out the illustrations one at a time — now that’s a real mind-blower!

Brian Dettmer’s official website is still under construction, but it links to other sites that feature his works, including Packer Schopf Gallery, Kinz + Tillou Fine Art, and Flickr. Check them out for more inspiration!

Tags: Altered Art, Altered Books, Artists, Book Arts, Brian Dettmer, Fine Books & Collections, Inspirations, Sculpture