{"id":221389,"date":"2026-01-05T09:45:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T09:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/221389\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T09:45:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T09:45:13","slug":"brian-dettmers-book-sculptures-on-view-at-riverside-arts-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/221389\/","title":{"rendered":"Brian Dettmer\u2019s Book Sculptures on View at Riverside Arts Center"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Diccionario<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cDiccionario Enciclopedico,\u201d 2020, hardcover books, acrylic varnish, 10 x 29 x 6 inches<\/p>\n

Artist Brian Dettmer<\/a> transforms printed texts into awe-inspiring sculptures. Crafted through carving, Dettmer dives into existing books, often encyclopedias, atlases, or reference volumes, using knives and surgical tools. He does not add or rearrange content; instead, he removes material to expose images, diagrams, and fragments of text embedded within the pages. The resulting works resemble topographic reliefs or cross-sections of knowledge, where layers of information are uncovered through precise cuts. And now, viewers can examine his work in person, through a solo exhibition at Riverside Arts Center\u2019s<\/a> Freeark Gallery and Sculpture Garden in Riverside, Illinois.<\/p>\n

The show is titled\u00a0In-Formation, and it brings together a selection of Dettmer\u2019s altered books, inviting viewers to reconsider how information is stored, revealed, and interpreted in physical form. The name of the show reflects the artist’s ongoing interest in the relationship between data and material. By turning books into sculptural objects, he shifts them from tools of linear reading into physical experiences that must be explored visually. Viewers are encouraged to move around each piece, discovering how meaning changes depending on what is revealed and what remains hidden.<\/p>\n

Based in Atlanta, Dettmer has exhibited internationally and is widely recognized for his role in expanding book-based sculpture as a contemporary art<\/a> form. His work is held in major museum collections and continues to resonate in a moment when printed media is rapidly disappearing. At Riverside Arts Center, In-Formation offers a focused look at how books, once designed to organize knowledge, can be reimagined as objects that question how knowledge is accessed and preserved.<\/p>\n

In-Formation is on view at the Riverside Arts Center\u2019s Freeark Gallery and Sculpture Garden through January 2026.\n<\/p>\n

Rather than being read from cover to cover, the books in Brian Dettmer\u2019s work are carved into sculptural forms that invite close physical inspection.
\n\"Great<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cGreat Houses of Gardening Corners,\u201d 2025, hardcover books, acrylic varnish, 13.5 x 12 x 5 inches<\/p>\n

\"Great<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cGreat Houses of Gardening Corners\u201d (Detail), 2025, hardcover books, acrylic varnish, 13.5 x 12 x 5 inches<\/p>\n

Using knives and surgical tools, Dettmer removes layers of pages to expose images, diagrams, and fragments of text embedded deep within the book.
\n\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe New American,\u201d 2021, hardcover book, acrylic varnish, 6.75 x 4.125 x 1.875\u201d<\/p>\n

Encyclopedias, atlases, and reference volumes are transformed into dense reliefs that resemble cross-sections of accumulated knowledge.
\n\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Annals of America,\u201d 2022, hardcover books, acrylic varnish, 31.5 x 29.5 x 4\u2033<\/p>\n

Exhibition Information:
Brian Dettmer
In-Formation
December 14, 2025\u2013January 24, 2026
Riverside Arts Center
32 E Quincy St, Riverside, IL, 60546, U.S.A.
\nBrian Dettmer: Website<\/a> | Instagram<\/a>
Riverside Art Gallery: Website<\/a> | Instagram<\/a>
\nMy Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Riverside Art Gallery.
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\nArtists Turn Recycled Books Into Relief Sculptures by Carefully Cutting and Folding Each Page<\/a>
\nJapanese Artist Hand-Carves Fallen Leaves Into Charming Storybook Scenes<\/a>
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