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The American Statesmen: Book Sculptures by Brian Dettmer

A series of sculptural works by New York-based artist Brian Dettmer built from early 20th-century political texts. He digs the pages of the book by employing a subtractive process—sealing the book and then cutting pages to connect disparate ideas and revealing images of the founding fathers displayed alongside each other. The purpose on the printed page is restructured while allowing "a holistic saturation of new paths for exploration." Considering the tremendous change in our current political landscape, Dettmer reveals the uncertain nature of language while mirroring the distorted rhetoric given to us by politicians and the media.

When books become sculpture the codex becomes a palimpsest, a material to question the structures and perspectives of the past while pondering the uncertainties of the future.

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