Altered: The Book

A creative genius would be one way to describe him but I'll let you look at his master pieces and come up with your own elaborate descriptions of this artist.

BRIAN DETTMER
I saw Brian's work for the first time last week on another blog and had to share with you what I saw.

Artist Brian Dettmer alters pre-existing books one page at a time using knives, tweezers and surgical tools. He begins by sealing the books edges, creating an enclosed vessel. He manipulates the pages and spines to form the shape of his sculptures. He also folds, bends, rolls, and stacks multiple books to create completely original sculptural forms. Nothing inside the old encyclopedias, medical journals, illustration books, or dictionaries is relocated or implanted, only removed. The meticulous account for detail and acute precision is mind blowing.

[For larger view: Click on picture.]

Sources: Honestly...WTF and My Modern Met.
For more information on Brian Dettmer, check his website http://briandettmer.com/.

Brazing Ballet

THE INSPIRATION?

... these pointe shoes (literally these exact ones, they were my template).

THE TASK?

... to take this raw material, mold it, shape it, and form it into these.

HOW?

... here's how Wikipedia explains it.

TRANSLATION?

Wear some sweet goggles and bulky gloves, bend and shape your metal, get your torch going (yeah, FIRE!), place filler material at the joints you want to connect, and melt the filler material. Keep it going and watch and see what you can create.

HERE'S THE CREATED FRAME

FINAL PRODUCT

I used newspaper to create the "skin" of the slipper (good 'ole paper mache) with one layer of white tissue paper over that to achieve the delicate look. I then took the exact ribbon and string from my inspirational pointe shoes and attached them to the sculpture. I sewed the ribbon on just the way you would on real pointe shoes.