Outpoll | Brian Dettmer's Sculpted Books Unearth the Physical Archaeology of Knowledge

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Artist Brian Dettmer presents a profound counterpoint to our digital age with his series ‘In·Formation. ’ Through meticulous surgical carving, he transforms outdated encyclopedias and medical texts into intricate three-dimensional sculptures, revealing the enduring physicality of information.Dettmer’s process is one of careful excavation: he seals a book's pages, then works from the exterior inward with precision tools, cutting away layers to expose the illustrations, maps, and diagrams concealed within. This subtractive artistry uncovers breathtaking landscapes where anatomical systems emerge from blocks of text and illustrated birds soar from dense paragraphs.The work serves as a commentary on the archaeology of knowledge, framing our obsolete reference systems as cultural artifacts whose meaning can be unlocked through physical exploration. For a creative tech sphere engrossed in generative AI, Dettmer’s practice is a vital reminder of the material history of data.His sculptures stand as the tangible UI of a past era, highlighting the weight and presence of knowledge now deemed ephemeral. Unlike AI that synthesizes from vast digital datasets, Dettmer engages in a slow, deliberate dialogue with a single, finite source.In an era of cloud storage and digital abstraction, these transformed books are monuments. They compel us to consider what narratives and connections are lost when information is severed from its physical vessel and what truths remain waiting, not in new algorithms, but in the careful, hands-on rediscovery of what we have built and cast aside.

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#Brian Dettmer

#book sculpture

#altered books

#contemporary art

#information art

#In-Formation

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