Dutch artist Frank Halmans transforms ordinary stacks of books into charming little buildings. For his series Built of Books, Halmans carves squares and rectangles into old textbooks and binds them altogether like a quaint little town made of rows of narrow buildings. Each quadrangle incision serves as a window or door. The artist is even careful enough to include a variety of window frame and doorway designs.
While some may disapprove of hacking away at antique books, Halmans takes heed in selecting his medium. The artist makes sure to only reconfigure books whose alternative fate would be to sit idly by in someone’s attic, destined to go untouched and unnoticed for eternity. Once Halman puts his finishing touches on the obsolete materials, they metamorphose into an eye-catching version of themselves that echoes one’s own sense of home. The picturesque book sculptures, as sweet as they appear, present a deeper message that reflects this sort of evolution.
