Research Catalog

Title

Games for the superintelligent / [Brian Dettmer].

Author

Dettmer, Brian, 1974-

Publication

[Atlanta, Ga.] : [Brian Dettmer], 2013.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

1 book object; 22 x 15 x 2 cm

Summary

• "One-of-a-kind ... Altered book. Carved with Exacto knives. Acrylic varnish. Designed to hang on the wall ... Signed and dated by the artist on the back of the sculpture"--Vamp & Tramp Web site, viewed August 27, 2015. In addition, the spine is initialed by the artist.
• The artist has sealed the page edges with varnish and carved into the page block, revealing fragments of text and images; the edges of the irregular shapes thus formed are also sealed with varnish. Visible text begins: "provides a link to a quite different matrix."
• "The work is true to its original, nothing is added. But by carving through the pages to reveal illustrations and text, or at least fragments of marks that symbolically led readers from the page, Dettmer finds new pathways through the physical book ... Brian Dettmer: 'I continue to question the past, present and future of the book by exploring and expanding possibilities and perspectives of the book's form and its content. ... Books on games reveal new matrices as a result of strategy and chance'"--Vamp & Tramp Web site, viewed August 27, 2015.
• "I work with knives, tweezers and surgical tools to carve one page at a time, exposing each layer while cutting around ideas and images of interest. Nothing inside the books is relocated or implanted, only removed"--Artist's statement about his book object technique, from his Web site, viewed August 27, 2015: http://briandettmer.com/bio

Subject

• Dettmer, Brian, 1974-
• Books in art
• Cut-out craft > Specimens

Genre/Form

• Artists' books – United States – 21st century.
• Unique books – United States – 21st century.
• Book objects.
• Altered books.
• Sculpture.
• Carvings (Visual works)

Note

• Title from spine title of the book that is here altered to form a unique sculptural book object; book originally published as: Games for the superintelligent / by James F. Fixx. Garden City, N.Y. : Doubleday, 1972.
• Name of artist and place of production from Vamp & Tramp Web site, viewed August 27, 2015. Date of production from artist's inscription (name is illegible) on back cover of the altered volume.

Binding (note)

• Preserves portions of the original publisher's binding of black cloth, including title stamped in silver on spine; name of original author and publisher have been excised from spine. Central portion of front cover is carved out, leaving a framelike border. Several irregular shapes, continuing the sculptural incursions into the page block, are carved through the back cover.

Call Number

Spencer Coll. Amer. 2013 15-64

OCLC

919474556

Author

Dettmer, Brian, 1974- book artist.

Title

Games for the superintelligent / [Brian Dettmer].

Production

[Atlanta, Ga.] : [Brian Dettmer], 2013.

Type of Content

three-dimensional form

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

object

Binding

Preserves portions of the original publisher's binding of black cloth, including title stamped in silver on spine; name of original author and publisher have been excised from spine. Central portion of front cover is carved out, leaving a framelike border. Several irregular shapes, continuing the sculptural incursions into the page block, are carved through the back cover.

Place of Publication

United States Georgia Atlanta.

Related To

Altered from (item): Fixx, James F. Games for the superintelligent. Garden City, N.Y. : Doubleday, 1972. vii, 86 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm (OCoLC)370217 (DLC) 73180074

Research Call Number

Spencer Coll. Amer. 2013 15-64