Maps, encyclopedias, phone books, and old computer manuals are more than just obsolete sources of information for fine art photographer cara barer. Upcoming cara barer photography book sculpture, book. Click here to view more images of a way with words. September 19, 20 by cbarer in uncategorized and tagged book art, book photographs, fine art leave a comment. This softcover, perfect bound catalog features 25 images from the june 28 august 9, 2014 exhibition. Part of a larger butterfly series by cara barer, a photographer and artist based in houston, texas, the blue butterfly is a stunning creation that can also be likened to a rorschach inkblot. I first saw cara barer s photographs here in san diego at last months beyond the border international art fair. Paper sculptures by cara barer im afraid the printed word will become a rarity, and the next generation will rely on the ephemeral wordthe digital kind that only exists through a computer monitor, or a sort of virtual book that can hold thousands of titles.
She is a graduate of the art institute of houston, the university of houston and the glassell school of art. A new object artspace at untitled, oklahoma city, ok g. Texas based photographer cara barer puts a new meaning in book art through her colorful sculptures out of discarded phone books, computer. In her experimentation with curling irons, clothes pins and water, barer transforms volumes of irrelevant and outdated information into coiled, crumpled objects of beauty. Cara barer i transform books into art by sculpting them, dyeing them and then through the medium of photography presenting them anew as objects of beauty. Portfolio cara barer photography book sculpture, book. The 25 contemporary artists featured in art made from books forthcoming from chronicle books may use similar materials, but their work. Dec 14, 2010 10 visual artists who use books as their medium. Designed for cpa by takigawa design, the book also includes statements from the artists, cara barer and mary ellen bartley.
Altered, sculpted, carved, transformed heyenga, laura, dettmer, brian, kuhn, alyson on. The book as an art form artists books libguides at. Apr 11, 2012 cara barer uses old phone books, computer manuals, maps, and comic books to create hypnotic sculptures, which she then photographs. I hope to raise questions about these changes, the ephemeral and fragile nature in which we now obtain knowledge, and the future of books. Phone books, software manuals, reference books, and other obsolete and discarded books find their way into her work. Bibliography cara barer photography book sculpture.
Now living in texas she uses old phone books, computer. The book as an art form artists books libguides at the. Cara barer artist biography, past and future exhibitions. In barers latest work, the artists own creations books bound with sheet. Showing that a books appearance can be as diverse as its content, these images capture both the intimacy and vulnerability of the printed page. In doing so, she is able to coax new meaning where there was only typeset text before. Cara barer, doug beube, longbin chen, casey curran, brian dettmer, ann hamilton, andrew hayes, lisa kokin, guy laramee, mike stilkey, robert the, cma permanent collection. Half price books became a regular haunt, and an abandoned house gave me a set of outdated reference books, complete with mold and neglect. Cara barers photographs of splayed out, crumpled, and folded book pages reinvent the object as an abstract and infinitely varied form.
Book art book editing takes on a whole new meaning the recent ny art book fair, and weeks fall books issue of the magazine, had me. Books are beautiful in their own right, but these artists have managed to improve on perfection. Cara barer a random encounter with the houston yellow pages on drew street was the initial inspiration for this project. Says barer, no important books have been injured during the. Cara barer is a texasborn and raised artist whose art uses books distorted in. The blue butterfly is a whimsical art piece created using a book. Discover interesting facts about cara barer on artnet. Art, text, new media, the center for book arts, new york, ny g los angeles times festival of books, ucla campus, susan spiritus gallery s. Eleven astonishing works of art made from books the new. Cara explains the work by saying, books, physical objects and repositories of information, are being. Cara barer s photographs of splayed out, crumpled, and folded book pages reinvent the object as an abstract and infinitely varied form. As i begin the process, i first consider the contents of each volume. Books, physical objects and repositories of information, are being displaced by zeros and ones in a digital universe with no physicality.
She soaks, dyes, folds, and otherwise alters the books in various ways for the final effect. A short survey of book art bedford art center, san francisco, ca g altered books. Her photography, centered around dampwaterdamaged books, has appeared in shows from new york to california, and throughout the state of texas. Jun 06, 2016 these days its hard to miss the photographs of cara barer, an artist whose work blurs the lines between sculpture and photography. Cara barer s inspiration came when she saw a rainsoaked yellow pages lying on the ground. American born artist cara barer trained at the glassell school of art and the san francisco art institute. I would love to speak to you about possibly representing you in boston. Butterfly 2 2006 fine art photographer cara barer transforms old books into complex works of art, breathing new life and purpose into objects that would ordinarily collect dust or be discarded. She photographed its intricately bent pages and soon began the search for more books, and more methods to change their appearance. Artist cara barer takes beautiful abstract photos of books. Showing that a book s appearance can be as diverse as its content, these images capture both the intimacy and vulnerability of the printed page.
The wild and colorful pages of old books are the medium of choice for artist cara barer, whose literary sculptures encompass fine art, photography, design and creative innovation. The power and art of the book with cara barer, doug beube, longbin chen, casey curran, brian dettmer, ann hamilton, andrew hayes, lisa kokin, guy laramee, mike stilkey. Incredibly beautiful book art of cara barer posted on april 27, 2012 by jasmine texas based photographer cara barer puts a new meaning in book art through her colorful sculptures out of discarded phone books, computer manuals, maps and the. Cara barer, book artist, took a simple and elegant idea and produced these wondeful photograhs. Recently featured at aipad 2016 and kunstrai art amsterdam, barer s work spans multiple markets and has caught the attention of photography and art book. Artist statement i transform books into art by sculpting them, dyeing them and then through the medium of photography presenting them anew as objects of beauty. These works reflect the ephemeral nature of meaning and existence and, most strikingly, the precarious future of books in print. Each book tells me how to begin according to its size, type of paper, and sometimes contents. Cara barer is an internationally recognized houston based photographer. Barer has been represented in numerous exhibitions across the u. She realized she owned many books that were no longer of use to her or to anyone else. I have a gallery and have actively been selling work for over 17 years, interestingly enough, i saw your work in boston at either neimans and nordstroms but never knew how to contact you.
Says barer, with the discarded books that i have acquired. Barer adjusts and molds the pages of old books to create a series of pieces that represent a variety of objects and themes that stand out from an top view perspective against a solid black background. Cara barer photographs outdated, abandoned and obsolete books but only after transforming them into sculptural objects. Sep 04, 2012 photographer cara barer has been working on a beautiful book art series since 2004. I didnt spend more than a few seconds on windows 95, but the new century dictionary of the english language, is a treasure that, because of its fascinating. Cara barer studied art and photography at the glassell school of art at the museum of fine arts in houston, and at the art institute of houston. Coiled and crumpled, they segue into a considered commentary on the changing role of libraries, societys relationship with how it accesses and values knowledge, and in a technologically. Recently featured at aipad 2016 and kunstrai art amsterdam, barers work spans multiple markets and has caught the attention of photography and art book collectors alike. Cara barer fine art photography, photography services, art. Cara barer is an internationallyrecognized established american photographer known for her abstract compositions of books and print material.
Cara barer coloring book 1 2018 available for sale. Photographer cara barer has been working on a beautiful book art series since 2004. Sculptor cara barer bends, folds and curls the pages of unwanted books, sometimes coloring their edges, molding them into forms that suggest organic life like birds, insects and even the undersides of mushrooms. Cara barer fine art photography, photography services.
Inspired by the telephone book, barer soaked the pages in water and turned the common household object into a completely new beauty object, one with a completely different shape, form, and purpose than it was originally intended to have. Cara barer is a texasborn and raised artist whose art uses books distorted in various ways that make them unrecognizable. Iconic sculptures and installations made from books pg. Artist georgia russell makes lovely organic creations. Ten contemporary artists, some of whose works have been bookmarked here, participated. I didnt spend more than a few seconds on windows 95, but the new century dictionary of the english language, is. Cara barer coloring book 2018 available for sale artsy. The definition may sound simple, but the world of artist books can be a bewildering place. Cara barer on first glance, houston photographer cara barers photographs of waterdamaged books are a beautiful form of book art in which. Domus, books under the tree, cover story, december, 2008 paper tear fold rip crease cut pgs. Jackson the wild and colorful pages of old books are the medium of choice for artist cara barer, whose literary sculptures encompass fine art, photography, design and creative innovation. Fine art photographer cara barers book sculptures photos.
Barer adjusts and molds the pages of old books to create a series of pieces that represent a variety of objects and. I transform books into art by sculpting them, dyeing them and then through the medium of photography presenting them anew as objects of beauty. So, i wondered what the intersection of literature and art would look like, and it led me to discover book art. Cara barers inspiration came when she saw a rainsoaked yellow pages lying on the ground. We asked authors, booksellers, publishers, editors, and others to share the places they go to connect with writers of the past, to the bars and cafes where todays authors give readings, and to those sites that are most inspiring for writing. Cara barer visually documents the way in which society has come to retrieve information by changing a common reference book into a work of sculpture and photographing the outcome. Photo sculpture book sculpture spiritus moon illustration psychedelic art altered books fine art photography new art. Cara barer, new work hulsewarman gallery, taos, nm s information revisited encyclopedia britannica project, belskie museum of art and science, closter, nj g unbound.
Cara barer experiments with everyday objects, repurposing them in new and beautiful ways. Cara barer artwork presented by foster white gallery, seattle. Book ends photographs by cara barer and mary ellen bartley curator, jerry takigawa june 28 august 9, 2014 lecture, carpenter hall, june 28th at 3. In november 2012, the bakersfield museum of art exhibited out of print. Cara barer cara barer visually documents the way in which society has come to retrieve information by changing a common reference book into a work of sculpture and photographing the outcome.
Cara barer coloring book 2 2018 available for sale artsy. Apr 27, 2012 texas based photographer cara barer puts a new meaning in book art through her colorful sculptures out of discarded phone books, computer manuals, maps and the like that she transforms and then photographs. Cara barer is an american photographer known for her images of book sculptures. Exhibitions cara barer photography book sculpture, book. In this video clip, artist cara barer transforms discarded books into compelling sculptures that reveal the soulful aesthetic and remarkable creative power hidden in the pages of unwanted books. Barer adjusts and molds the pages of old books to create a series of pieces that represent a. May 03, 2011 on first glance, houston photographer cara barers photographs of waterdamaged books are a beautiful form of book art in which the book is altered and transformed into a sculptural object not through the interference of the human hand, but through passive lack of interference and exposure to the elements. Cara barers photographs of splayed out, crumpled, and folded book pages reinvent the object as an abstract. Cara barer photography book sculpture, book photography, paper. From su blackwells whimsical popup landscapes to the stacked book sculptures of kylie stillman, each portfolio celebrates the incredible creative diversity of the medium. Book ends, carmel center for photographic arts, carmel, ca 20 klompching gallery, brooklyn, ny bauxi photo, toronto, canada 2012 cara barer and pangchieh hsu, andrea schwartz gallery, san francisco, ca bound and unbound, foster white gallery, brooklyn, ny. Doug beube, alex queral, jacqueline rush lee, mike stilkey, jim rosenau, guy laramee, cara barer, robert the, brian dettmer and mary ellen bartley. Her inspiration stems from a random encounter where she discovered a rainsoaked yellow pages.
After soaking it in the bathtub for a few hours, it had a new shape and purpose. In her experimentation with curling irons, clothes pins and water, barer transforms volumes of irrelevant and outdated information into coiled, crumpled objects of. Texas photographer cara barer used old computer manuals, maps, comic books and phone books as her subjects to create a beautiful photo book. In her experimentation with curling irons, clothes pins and water, barer transforms volumes of irrelevant and outdated information into coiled, crumpled. Art made from books is the definitive guide to this compelling art form, showcasing groundbreaking work by todays most showstopping practitioners. Cara barer is well known for her book sculptures, book photography, and paper sculptures.
Incredibly beautiful book art of cara barer strictlypaper. Beautiful sculptural photography made from old books cara barer. American, born 1956, lives and works in houston, tx i transform books into art by sculpting them, dyeing them and then through the medium of photography presenting them anew as objects of beauty, says barer, who uses curling irons and water to manipulate outdated, abandoned and obsolete books before immortalizing with her camera. These days its hard to miss the photographs of cara barer, an artist whose work blurs the lines between sculpture and photography. I realized i owned many books that were no longer of use to me, or for that matter, anyone else. In her experimentation with curling irons, clothes pins and water, barer transforms volumes of information into coiled, crumpled objects of beauty.
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