A Gallery of Su Blackwell's Incredible Book Sculptures

Multimedia literature is kind of a big deal right now, but the thought of cross-media books generally invites images of books-as-apps or maybe film adaptations. Su Blackwell has another (dare I say, better) idea: the book sculpture.

She works out of London as an artist and art director, creating intricate scenes from the pages of books. Su explains her own work best on her website:

“I often work within the realm of fairy-tales and folk-lore. I began making a series of book-sculpture, cutting-out images from old books to create three-dimensional diorama’s, and displaying them inside wooden boxes.” “For the cut-out illustrations, I tend to lean towards young-girl characters, placing them in haunting, fragile settings, expressing the vulnerability of childhood, while also conveying a sense of childhood anxiety and wonder. There is a quiet melancholy in the work, depicted in the material used, and choice of subtle colour.” Paper has been used for communication since its invention; either between humans or in an attempt to communicate with the spirit world. I employ this delicate, accessible medium and use irreversible, destructive processes to reflect on the precariousness of the world we inhabit and the fragility of our life, dreams and ambitions.

Here’s a selection of Su’s beautiful work. (Clicking on an image will open a larger version.)

[f*ckyeahbookarts]