Brian Dettmer Exhibit

While I’ve written about Brian Dettmer’s altered books in the past, I’ve only seen pictures of his work. That is until today, when I paid a visit to the Toomey Tourell gallery in San Francisco. There’s nearly 2 dozen pieces on display, all picture books (mostly encyclopedias) that have been carved up and layered, producing an almost kaleidoscopic effect. And they aren’t just single books, several are like the one to the left — conjoined to make a much more interesting sculpture. The exhibit runs through the end of September.