Written by:  Kyle Pind, Visual Effects

Every quarter, each student is responsible for completing a field trip requirement for each class. Most foundations class field trips either requires trips to museums, or seminars of famous artists presenting what they do for a living. I have come to find that many of the seminars at SCAD are rather beneficial to where I want to see myself in the artistic community, so I have made a point to see seminars even outside of class field trips. One seminar in particular grabbed my attention even though it was not related to my major. What this artist did was so interesting that I felt compelled to travel to the local museum where his exhibit was being held and see the pieces shown on a PowerPoint slideshow in person.

His name is Brian Dettmer and he conducts “Book Autopsies.” In other words, he carves through pages upon pages inside books he has found and selects interesting images or text along the way to leave exposed. It’s like a cavern filled with random pictures and words that together create a rather interesting piece. When he finally finishes carving through each individual book page with nothing more than tweezers and an x-acto knife, he uses a process to petrify the books so that they are a solid sculpture. The finished piece is remarkable.

Interested in attending SCAD community events? Visit our website to view the master calendar of events and programs.