Will the printed word soon be lost, as we as a whole move ever so quickly into digital communications? Maybe not in the next 10 to 15 years but if we can properly read the writing on the wall or more precisely our Kindles, Ipads, smartphones, etc the printed word might not even be thought about, compared to how we communicate in pixels. This is a sad realization, but one that reflects a massive change in our progression through technology.
After recently watching a biography on Steve Jobs and hearing about his ideas for the ipad some thirty years ago, which ultimately yielded notions for the iphone and many other devices, we were quite intrigued. If he was this forward thinking and knew we would be moving away from a printed medium, will working in print related terms still be relative? Personally, I believe it will, as there will forever be a voice for old technology, but it will just feel a bit outdated and dare we say, folks will have to work a bit with it. Yes, work, a crazy idea that something is not just a google search away or that you have to manually retrieve and discover the answer. The printed word is an effective medium for communication but in the long haul costs will determine output and this may be why printed communications ultimately lose the battle.
Mix all these ideas into a blender and someone such as Brian Dettmer becomes amazingly interesting. We have seen a lot of mash up art and design ideas throughout the years but when it comes to craftsmanship, that is where we break out the loop and examine very carefully as we dig artisans.
Brian has a unique spin with his ideas as it is more a matter of letting the object reveal itself, rather than him depicting an object. Take for example his book sculptures featured here. Not only does he show the contents of the book, but each book takes on a new light as much of the inner materail is now seen together revealing itself in a new context. The layered effect plays directly into our technology infused communication of today. We see through all the news, pop culture and life events looking for more substance or a back story. If we cannot grasp what exactly is going on we look to another source instead of taking what we see or hear as the final word. Technology has made us dig deeper on many levels and Brian's work does the same but he pushes us to do it in a literal and physical way. For this we thank him and sites such as
neatorama for being the perfect aggregator on finding new and clever ways of thinking.
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| Modern Painters (1873), 2008, Altered Books, 9-1/8" x 7" x 6-3/4" - Image Courtesy of the Artist and Kinz + Tillou Fine Art |
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History of Western Europe, 2007, Altered Book, 7-3/4” x 5-1/4” x 1-1/2” - Image Courtesy of the Artist and MiTO Gallery
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The Household Physicians, 2008, Altered Books, 10-1/2" x 8" x 12" - Image Courtesy of the Artist and Kinz + Tillou Fine Art
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Skull #8 (80's Metal), Altered Cassette Tapes, 6" x 5" x 8" - Image Courtesy of the Artist
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| Skull #7 (Women of Pop), 2006, Altered cassette tapes, 6" x 5" x 8" - Image Courtesy of the Artist |
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| Effect of Sensory may also be detected, 2008, Altered Book, 9-1/2" x 9" x
2-3/4" - Image Courtesy of the Artist and Packer Schopf |
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Compiled Upon a New Plan, 2010, Altered Books, 10-1/2" x 10" x 10-3/4" - Image Courtesy of the Artist and Packer Schopf
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Military Preventive Medicine, 2010, Altered Book, 9 1/4" x 8 7/8" x 2 1/2" Image Courtesy of the Artist and Saltworks
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Dairy Nets & Soda, 2007, Altered Book, 6-1/2” x 6” x 2-1/2” - Image Courtesy of the Artist and Packer Schopf
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Tab, 2005, Altered Set of Vintage Encyclopedias, 51"(h) x 10.25"(w) x 7.5"(d) - Image Courtesy of the Artist
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| Webs New Inner Diction, 2007, Altered Book, 12" x 11-1/2" x 5" - Image Courtesy of the Artist and Kinz + Tillou Fine Art |
