Brian Dettmer
Artist Brian Dettmer digs into a good book (literally, with a knife) to create beautifully intricate forms that reflect how we see old information in a modern world.
Why you should listen
New York–based artist Brian Dettmer carves intricate sculptures from outdated materials like encyclopedias, textbooks, maps and cassette tapes. To create his works Dettmer seals the object with varnish, then swiftly and deftly moves through it with an X-Acto knife until he comes out the other side, cutting away material to form something new. His beautiful carvings reflect how, in a digital information landscape, even the oldest forms of knowledge can be repurposed.
Brian Dettmer’s TED Talk
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Arts + Design
Gallery: New art carved from old books
February 13, 2015
To create new art, sculptor Brian Dettmer cuts up old books. See a gallery of his intricate, breathtaking creations.
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Worlds far and near, of the past and of the future: A recap of Session 1 of TEDYouth 2014
November 15, 2014
By Cynthia Betubiza, Ella Dawson and Kate Torgovnick May Session 1 of TEDYouth 2014 brought us to many worlds imagined. From a look at other planets that could be like Earth, to an introduction to a mysterious dinosaur bigger than T. rex, to a beet-tastic vision for the future of food, this morning’s speakers brought wonder, passion […]
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