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Book Sculpture: Book Sculpture

Workshop Lesson on how to create beautiful book sculptures using old books

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Use the box below to search the catalogue to find books available in the Christopher Brennan Library. 

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About

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Book sculpture is as much about the process as it is about the form...

"....these books were conceived, written, published, read, loved, stored, discarded, found anew, studied, cut, folded and reborn."
NICOLAS JONES

Take a look at some of the work students have created.

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NICOLAS JONES BOOK SCULPTURE
Nicholas Jones was born in 1974 in the United Kingdom. He completed a Bachelor of Fine Art at the Victorian College of the Arts in 1997, Master of Fine Art at RMIT University in 2001 and a Graduate Diploma of Education at The University of Melbourne in 2003. Take a look at his book sculptures that have been folded, torn, sewn and reinvented in a variety of forms.

ORIGAMI SPIDER

ORIGAMI BAT

WORKSHOP TASK

BEFORE YOU START:
Watch the video on how to create a butterfly 3D book. Remember, this project is a collaborative activity and will involve all students making at least one butterfly or other flying creature to create the 3D book sculpture. We will be using origame techniques for our sculpture, however ideas are welcome and will evolve into something that will uniquley reflect the creative energies of the group.


YOU WILL NEED:

  • A small book that has been marked for the recycling bin
  • A scalpel and pair of scissors
  • Coloured textas or pencils
  • Links to relevant You Tube Videos
  • Ear phones
  • Thin wire
  • A large book to mount the finished pieces
  • A drill and drill bit
  • Imagination

METHOD:

  1. Choose one of the smaller books that is to recycled and tear out a page or two. Make sure the paper you are using is square in shape. (All sides and angles are equal)

  2. Look through some of the pages of the large book in which the sculpture will be assembled and find a pattern that appeals to you.

  3. Transfer or adapt that pattern onto ta piece of square paper using the textas or pencils.

  4. Follow the directions from one of the You Tube videos below on how to create an origame butterfly.

  5. Once finished, attach a piece of wire to your origami butterfly using the hole punch and wire provided.

  6. As a group, create at least 50 pieces of various shapes and sizes.

  7. Discuss the way you'd like the butterflys to be positioned and then attach to the inside of the book, threading the wire through the holes and fixing firmly to the cover. A glue gun maybe required.

  8. Take a photo of your completed work and write a reflective statement about the process.

Videos

WATCH THE FOLLOWING YOU TUBE VIDEOS
Watch the videos on how to create your own 'Book Sculpture' using origami techniques. For this example we will be making origami butterflys. Watch the videos and follow the instructions. They begin with an easy example and follow through to the more challenging. Try to create one of each variety.