If I had my way and lived in the equivalent of…oh, say the Istana Nurul Iman palace (the over 2 million square foot residence of the Sultan of Brunei), I’d probably never get rid of a single book—ever. I’d even allow books I didn’t particularly care for to gather dust on my endless bookshelves. However, I live in a small condo so my limited book space must undergo frequent uncluttering sessions. I generally only keep reference books and signed copies. As painful as it is for me to do, all others are passed along to someone I think would enjoy them or donated.
When my husband sent me this link to Gizmodo, I realized that some talented people have come up with more creative ways of recycling surplus books. The Scanner (seen below), constructed by Slovakian artist Matej Krén, is constructed out of thousands of books. The entry is large enough to accommodate the tallest of adults quite easily. There are mirrors inside the tunnel that create an illusion of an infinite number of books. It's on display at the Museum of Modern Art in Bologna.
To see more photos of this amazing work of art or to view the video, click here.
Viewing this piece made me wonder what other works of art might be made from books. I didn’t have to look far to find my answer. Offbeat Earth offers a photo display of wonderful works of “book art.” I’ve only included a few of my favorites (which were very hard to limit to a few) so be sure to check out the site for other brilliant pieces. 
Still haven’t had enough, check out:
Incredible and original Models Made Out of Books at 1dak.com
Works of Art Made From Books at Casa Sugar
The Bittersweet Art of Cutting Up Books at Dark Roasted Blend
And, if you would like to buy book art, check out the gallery at This Into That
What do you do with your books once you read them? Have you found any creative ways to recycle books?
Thanks for stopping by today. I hope to see you again next Monday.
Tags: The Scanner, Museum of Modern Art, Bologna, Matej Krén , recycled books, Henry Ward Beecher, book art,
Posts
