Click for Source Image By Agnieszka Ramian
The debate that was successfully started HERE not long ago, will be seeing its continuation. Not only will we present more findings and, let’s be honest, thoughts and feelings that pure-blood bookworms are made of, but on top of that a particular artist, especially skilled in cutting through books’ pages, will be introduced. You may find it harder to have concerns when it is not an anonymous individual, but a specific person, revealing herself as the one responsible for making such exciting and extraordinary art.
If we dig deeper, there seem to be pros mostly. The key to understanding and fully appreciating this creative concept is to let go of the idea that this is just a book and there is only one proper way of using it. There used to be, but now it also becomes a material that an artist such as Emma Taylor can use to create some really impressive items.
The debate that was successfully started HERE not long ago, will be seeing its continuation. Not only will we present more findings and, let’s be honest, thoughts and feelings that pure-blood bookworms are made of, but on top of that a particular artist, especially skilled in cutting through books’ pages, will be introduced. You may find it harder to have concerns when it is not an anonymous individual, but a specific person, revealing herself as the one responsible for making such exciting and extraordinary art.
If we dig deeper, there seem to be pros mostly. The key to understanding and fully appreciating this creative concept is to let go of the idea that this is just a book and there is only one proper way of using it. There used to be, but now it also becomes a material that an artist such as Emma Taylor can use to create some really impressive items.
Click for Source Image One glance at Emma’s works is enough to realize that even to consider those creations as “murder on a good readable book” or “sacrilege against literature” seems very inadequate. It is obvious that none of the books have fallen victim to the act of vandalism and in this article we will go as far as trying to convince non-believers that those books have been given a new purpose for existence. From Within a Book, as Emma calls her project, brings life to flat pages.
‘As a prolific trawler of second hand bookshops that tends to be where I find most of the books I use. I have a few favourite bookshops located in and around Cambridge that are full to the brim of gorgeous finds, so I'm spoilt for choice.’ – says Emma in a short interview for IWG. ‘When I enter a bookshop I do so with the aim of finding lovely books and not just ones that I can visualise a piece from. This has however resulted in me having a rather full bookcase and mostly full of books that I just really like and not ones that I am interested in turning into a sculpture; sometimes I'm captivated by the story or simply the details on the cover. Therefore I don't always see a book and immediately visualise a piece, but when this does happen I have a good idea about what I'm going to make, the format of the piece and also how I'm going to make the various elements within a few seconds.'
Like it or not, books can actually expire, lose their validity and therefore, significance too. Not all of them will earn their spot on the museum display or will have someone to hold them dear. Not all of them have this potential and this is just a brutal reality. Unimaginably, many will become redundant and unwanted. Their fault might lay in presenting invalid or incorrect information, or being re-translated, or re-edited, or redesigned, or simply damaged. Even now, under the e-books and other digital read reign, tones of books are printed in the spirit of mass production.
Consumed or not, old or fairly new – soon they will be replaced by the new ones anyway. It is quite understandable that people grow attached to their volumes, feel the story and therefore imagine that pages being cut equals the reality they were containing falling apart. There is this ache in the heart – when was the last time someone read this book? And then we feel sorry for it because no one ever again will since it has been cut into shreds.
Remember though that there are more unwanted books in the world than readers who could make good use of them. Some of us are willing to make a heroic attempt of finding a book a new place to call home after we do not need it anymore. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people will just throw it away, recycle or burn, abandon and seal its bleak fate, not infrequently being a puddle on the street where ditch water washes off the ink . However, when the book’s carrier is finished, is it not better to see it turning into something inspirational than into nothingness?
‘There are a few rules which I stick to when selecting books, firstly I never use books that have a prominent historical importance. Obviously every book has played some part in history however small and the evidence of this is something which I love about old books - the inscriptions in the cover or a letter slipped in the pages; but I would never use a first edition or a book from a limited print run. I am always on the look-out for books which are damaged beyond repair, as I use the paper from these to make my sculptures; these books are usually found in the reduced box as they have little value and so no one is interested in repairing them.’ – assures the artist.
‘As a prolific trawler of second hand bookshops that tends to be where I find most of the books I use. I have a few favourite bookshops located in and around Cambridge that are full to the brim of gorgeous finds, so I'm spoilt for choice.’ – says Emma in a short interview for IWG. ‘When I enter a bookshop I do so with the aim of finding lovely books and not just ones that I can visualise a piece from. This has however resulted in me having a rather full bookcase and mostly full of books that I just really like and not ones that I am interested in turning into a sculpture; sometimes I'm captivated by the story or simply the details on the cover. Therefore I don't always see a book and immediately visualise a piece, but when this does happen I have a good idea about what I'm going to make, the format of the piece and also how I'm going to make the various elements within a few seconds.'
Like it or not, books can actually expire, lose their validity and therefore, significance too. Not all of them will earn their spot on the museum display or will have someone to hold them dear. Not all of them have this potential and this is just a brutal reality. Unimaginably, many will become redundant and unwanted. Their fault might lay in presenting invalid or incorrect information, or being re-translated, or re-edited, or redesigned, or simply damaged. Even now, under the e-books and other digital read reign, tones of books are printed in the spirit of mass production.
Consumed or not, old or fairly new – soon they will be replaced by the new ones anyway. It is quite understandable that people grow attached to their volumes, feel the story and therefore imagine that pages being cut equals the reality they were containing falling apart. There is this ache in the heart – when was the last time someone read this book? And then we feel sorry for it because no one ever again will since it has been cut into shreds.
Remember though that there are more unwanted books in the world than readers who could make good use of them. Some of us are willing to make a heroic attempt of finding a book a new place to call home after we do not need it anymore. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people will just throw it away, recycle or burn, abandon and seal its bleak fate, not infrequently being a puddle on the street where ditch water washes off the ink . However, when the book’s carrier is finished, is it not better to see it turning into something inspirational than into nothingness?
‘There are a few rules which I stick to when selecting books, firstly I never use books that have a prominent historical importance. Obviously every book has played some part in history however small and the evidence of this is something which I love about old books - the inscriptions in the cover or a letter slipped in the pages; but I would never use a first edition or a book from a limited print run. I am always on the look-out for books which are damaged beyond repair, as I use the paper from these to make my sculptures; these books are usually found in the reduced box as they have little value and so no one is interested in repairing them.’ – assures the artist.
Click for Source Image Under Emma Taylor’s gentle fingers, trees grow out of the pages and a paper swan stretches its feathery wings. Undoubtedly, many ship modellers would envy Emma’s eye for detail and focus that allows her to create magnificently sophisticated, tiny elements such us an apple lying under the tree full of leaves or a paper man only 2.5 cm tall.
‘When I see a book I can tell immediately if I would be able to do it justice by turning it into a sculpture or not, if yes then I usually read the story which can influence the design’, says Emma when asked about the creative process.
There must have been no greater way of paying the tribute to the book entitled ‘Ships & Sailing: Tales of the Sea’ than creating a wonderful tall-ship emerging out of the volume. You may see it as 3D book or the book’s soul taking a substantial shape, either way the magic happens there and the book becomes MORE than it used to be. What Emma does indicates nothing but the deep respect that she has for the books – both their physical body and the words they carry.
‘I made a 'Wind in the Willows' themed sculpture that included Ratty and Mole in a boat on the river, this scene was taken from the story but I also merged other elements into the scene to create an overall representation of the whole book. I would say I read the book to assist with the design but not to inspire the whole piece, instead the initial inspiration comes from seeing the book and the title. It does make a lovely excuse to be able to sit and read a book though - not that one is ever needed.’ – Yes, we agree wholeheartedly with the last sentence. All book lovers can sigh with relief now.
A funny thing is the common misconception that actions involving books, scissors and perhaps
glue supposedly can only result in decreasing a book’s value. It seems to be quite the opposite.
Emma has an online shop where she sells photographic prints and bookmarks of images of book
sculptures she creates. The average price is £10.00 GBP, but can grow to £20.00 GBP for some
items. Now multiply it by the number of all customers that will purchase one kind of the design.
One book, one sculpture, many prints, multiplied profit – surely each one of you can calculate in a
heartbeat that overall, the value of the art must be greatly exceeding the value of the material
used and even the initial price of the new book. Talking about the original sculptures themselves,
this is just the top of an iceberg.
What happens to them? ‘I exhibit the original sculptures through Byard Art, a contemporary art
gallery situated in the heart of Cambridge. As well as being in exhibitions in the Cambridge gallery
Byard Art have also taken my work to 'Affordable Art Fairs' in London and Hong Kong.’ explains
Emma. If you wonder, these are available for sale via Byard Art gallery too. Emma’s masterpieces
surely make a great addition to any enthusiast’s collection if only one can afford it. To make the
buying easier, Emma’s art participates in the scheme that lets you spread the cost of your
purchase over 10 months with an interest free loan. The increase in the value of the book, after
artistic metamorphosis Emma puts it through, truly is mind-blowing. View some of the offers
HERE.
Even though the sculptures seem very fragile, there is a feeling of immortality to them, immortality of the books they used to be. Can there be a better fate for the book than becoming a timeless creation in some sense while it was only an average copy before? It is a good fate and splendid afterlife for the book that was to be forgotten or destroyed. Now it is hard to miss and take one’s eyes off it, isn’t it? While I am personally not so sure about this being a way of promoting reading, I can see a great underlying potential and unique skill that deserves an appreciation.
Visit Emma’s places:
Her blog: http://fromwithinabook.tumblr.com/ ,
facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/FromWithinaBook?fref=ts
and professional profile: http://www.byardart.co.uk/artists/emma-taylor/ .
‘When I see a book I can tell immediately if I would be able to do it justice by turning it into a sculpture or not, if yes then I usually read the story which can influence the design’, says Emma when asked about the creative process.
There must have been no greater way of paying the tribute to the book entitled ‘Ships & Sailing: Tales of the Sea’ than creating a wonderful tall-ship emerging out of the volume. You may see it as 3D book or the book’s soul taking a substantial shape, either way the magic happens there and the book becomes MORE than it used to be. What Emma does indicates nothing but the deep respect that she has for the books – both their physical body and the words they carry.
‘I made a 'Wind in the Willows' themed sculpture that included Ratty and Mole in a boat on the river, this scene was taken from the story but I also merged other elements into the scene to create an overall representation of the whole book. I would say I read the book to assist with the design but not to inspire the whole piece, instead the initial inspiration comes from seeing the book and the title. It does make a lovely excuse to be able to sit and read a book though - not that one is ever needed.’ – Yes, we agree wholeheartedly with the last sentence. All book lovers can sigh with relief now.
A funny thing is the common misconception that actions involving books, scissors and perhaps
glue supposedly can only result in decreasing a book’s value. It seems to be quite the opposite.
Emma has an online shop where she sells photographic prints and bookmarks of images of book
sculptures she creates. The average price is £10.00 GBP, but can grow to £20.00 GBP for some
items. Now multiply it by the number of all customers that will purchase one kind of the design.
One book, one sculpture, many prints, multiplied profit – surely each one of you can calculate in a
heartbeat that overall, the value of the art must be greatly exceeding the value of the material
used and even the initial price of the new book. Talking about the original sculptures themselves,
this is just the top of an iceberg.
What happens to them? ‘I exhibit the original sculptures through Byard Art, a contemporary art
gallery situated in the heart of Cambridge. As well as being in exhibitions in the Cambridge gallery
Byard Art have also taken my work to 'Affordable Art Fairs' in London and Hong Kong.’ explains
Emma. If you wonder, these are available for sale via Byard Art gallery too. Emma’s masterpieces
surely make a great addition to any enthusiast’s collection if only one can afford it. To make the
buying easier, Emma’s art participates in the scheme that lets you spread the cost of your
purchase over 10 months with an interest free loan. The increase in the value of the book, after
artistic metamorphosis Emma puts it through, truly is mind-blowing. View some of the offers
HERE.
Even though the sculptures seem very fragile, there is a feeling of immortality to them, immortality of the books they used to be. Can there be a better fate for the book than becoming a timeless creation in some sense while it was only an average copy before? It is a good fate and splendid afterlife for the book that was to be forgotten or destroyed. Now it is hard to miss and take one’s eyes off it, isn’t it? While I am personally not so sure about this being a way of promoting reading, I can see a great underlying potential and unique skill that deserves an appreciation.
Visit Emma’s places:
Her blog: http://fromwithinabook.tumblr.com/ ,
facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/FromWithinaBook?fref=ts
and professional profile: http://www.byardart.co.uk/artists/emma-taylor/ .
What do you think to those beautiful and imaginative things? Will ‘Yays’ to the art of books follow now?
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