Amazing World of Book Art

I had no idea there was such a thing as a Book Art. But recently, I've been seeing a lot of images of amazing Book Art popping up all over the web. One that really caught my attention was a book with butterflies bursting out of it. Creativity at its best!

I did some research and it turns out that this book has a fascinating story behind it.

Called the "Book Of Life", it was inspired by the extraordinary life of Rabbi Yossi Raichik, a man who saved thousands of children's lives from the devastating effects of the Chernobyl disaster. The metal sculpture has pages filled with words from those he touched, and also features a flurry of butterflies, each representing the 2,547 children he helped save and give new lives.

The book was created by talented artist David Kracov, who was commissioned to create an award to be given in honor of the late director of Chabad's Children of Chernobyl Rabbi Yossi Raichik. You can see more photos of this amazing book on artist's website.

Don’t like Reading?

Just because you don’t enjoy reading, doesn’t mean there aren’t other uses for all of those books piled up in your attic.



Octopus Book Art | Anagram Bookshop found on Bibliodyssey blog.


 

Putting Yellow Pages to a good use

Cara Barer's inspiration came when she saw a rain-soaked Yellow Pages lying on the ground. She photographed its intricately bent pages and soon began the search for more books, and more methods to change their appearance.

She says "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. Half Price Books became a regular haunt, and an abandoned house gave me a set of outdated reference books, complete with mold and neglect. Each book tells me how to begin according to its size, type of paper, and sometimes contents...

With the discarded books that I have acquired, I am attempting to blur the line between objects, sculpture, and photography. This project has become a journey that continues to evolve." See more Cara's projects on her website.

Home Decorating on a Budget?

Apparently, you can make vases, lamps and coffee tables out of old books.







... or even amazing Book Shelves out of Books. :)





I wonder if people would've come up with these ideas if there wasn't a recession? :)

Have 10,000 books? Why not build a Tower from them?

This amazing Book Tower by created by Tom Bendtsen. He used 10,000 books to create it. Interior walls consists of text you would read in private, exterior is made of publicly acceptable texts.

Or what about this structure? I bet Tom could build a house from just about anything. :)

Check out Tom's site for his complete collection. If that doesn't impress you, what about....

A Giant Labyrinth Constructed from 250,000 Books?

Designed and built by Brazilian artists Marcos Saboya and Gualter Pupo (and over fifty volunteers) and entitled aMAZEme, the stacked and twisting labyrinth was built using 250,000 remaindered, used and new books and covers over 500 square metres, with sections standing up to 2.5 metres high. See more photos of this amazing book structure.

There are real book art enthusiasts out there. I found some blogs dedicated solely to book arts full of DIY projects and organizations, like The Center for Book Arts in New York that offer courses on book arts.

Have you ever tried creating anything out of Books? I'd love to hear your stories.