Reading Between the Designs

I’ve long adored the idea of hacking traditional, living (and far too soon to be dead) floral decor, with flowers crafted from books and brown paper bags — and sheet music makes for a perfect musician themed wedding or event! Daring to see beyond the cover of a book can reveal limitless creative potentials. Painter-turned-sculptor, Brian Dettmer has literally dug into these rich layers of print to explore, and set free, another dimension of the story! Like Michelangelo, the famous 15th century Italian sculptor who said, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it,” Dettmer is interested in a hidden realization: How these “beautifully intricate forms reflect how we see old information in a modern world”. I can see a similar invitation to look at life with new eyes in many of the DIY ideas for upcycling books. There is a kind of genius in redefining objects to represent something common, in an uncommon way. Sounds like a practice for life. Or, at least decorating for a hipster chic party. LINKS: flowers crafted from books — http://www.100layercake.com/blog/2011/07/22/diy-storybook-paper-roses/ Brian Dettmer — http://www.ted.com/talks/brian_dettmer_old_books_reborn_as_intricate_art DIY ideas for upcycling books — http://diyready.com/diy-projects-made-from-old-books/# decorating for a hipster chic party — http://www.hometalk.com/b/815629/book-page-projects