Ellen Jewett’s Latest, Fantastical Sculptures

ear the dawn of the twenty-first century, Brian Dettmer was primarily a painter. But one day he embarked on a series of works where he applied the torn pages of newspapers and books to his canvases. “I liked the idea that the information actually existed there on the canvas, even though it wasn’t really readable,” he recalls on a recent phone call. “It became more of a visual archive.” Those collaged canvases led to sculptures made from stacks of books, which he would carve in ways where the alterations were not obvious until the viewer came close to the piece. While making one such sculpture, Dettmer noticed a landscape inside a book, carved around it and peeled back more pages. As he did that, a new figure emerged. “That was my eureka moment when I realized that this was an exciting process,” says Dettmer. “At the time, and even more so now, it seemed to make sense.” Twenty years later, Dettmer is best known for his elaborate book sculptures that have appeared in galleries, museums and universities across the United States. Read Liz Ohanesian's full article on the artist by clicking above.