Artist Research

Brian Dettmer

Brian Dettmer is an American artist who takes old books and turns them into beautiful works of art by cutting away selected parts to reveal layered images and text. Born in Chicago but currently living and working out of Atlanta Georgia. Dettmer’s work has gained International acclaim through internet bloggers, and traditional media. In recent years Dettmer has established himself as one of the leading International contemporary artists working with the book today. In 2011 his work was featured on the cover of Book Art (Gestalten Publishers, Berlin) and discussed in a historical context in Bookwork (Stewart, The University of Chicago Press). 


                                                       


A large body of Dettmer's current work is created by altering books, including older dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks, science and engineering books, art books, medical guides, history books, atlases, comic books, wallpaper sample books, and others. Dettmer seals and cuts into the books, exposing select images and text to create intricate three-dimensional derivative works that reveal new or alternative interpretations of the books. Dettmer never inserts or moves any of the books' contents. (Moayeri 2008). This process is performed without pre-planning or mapping out the contents before cutting into the book. (Cullum 2010). As he cuts away unwanted material, Dettmer stabilizes the remaining paper with a varnish. (Fox 2009). An early example of Dettmer's unique altered books is his 2003 work.