My friend Kate recommended that I read this interview with Australian-based artist Nicholas Jones about his book sculptures. (That’s one of Jones’ books to the left.) Kate says “Granted he’s destroying while he creates, but the forms are incredible.” I have to agree — hope you enjoy the interview too — if for nothing else but the pictures of his work and his studio!
Fantastic work. I was dismayed by the ignorant sentimentality of some of the (anonymous) comments on the piece, however. This guy is giving unwanted books new life – and by the looks of it often a life more beautiful, interesting and lasting than the ones they had before. Like the guy who makes bookshelves out of old books who you’ve featured previously, this is recycling of the first order and should be applauded rather than wept over. The books would otherwise have been incinerated or pulped. No-one is being deprived of reading matter by the making of these art objects! They are mostly old editions, discarded by libraries. And anyway, ‘in some recent years the numer of [unsold] books pulped has actually exceeded the numbers sold’ (International Book Publishing: An Encyclopedia; Routledge). Now that’s something to get worked up about, perhaps (although the resulting pulp usually goes to make new paper so more publishers can get their sales projections wrong). But please, no tears for the fate of books transformed by wonderful creative artists like Nicholas Jones!
(OK, rant over!)