For years, weve been following mike stilkey s evergrowing collection of book art. Bookworm portraiture these stunning painted book sculptures by mike stilkey use recycled books and book spines as canvases to create whimsical and unique portraits. Book paintings by mike stilkey the title of this piece plays with the title of the book at its crown, the surgeon by w. Stilkey has been drawing on book pages for quite a long time and had even published a book in 2005 titled 100 portraits which had 100 portraits painted on old book pages. This guy made use of discarded books to create incredible. His book sculptures, the highest of which is 24ft tall and comprises 3,000 books, have been exhibited around the world. While libraries are certainly safe havens for books, the alwaysevolving taste of readers and the inevitable wear and tear on each tome means that many books are eventually. Even your local library can be a great place for art supplies. He stacks the hardcover books and paints directly on their spines. Working with ink, paint, colored pencil, and lacquer, he creates lighthearted paintings of humans and animals alike. See more ideas about artist, book sculpture and book art. For years, weve been following mike stilkeys evergrowing collection of book art. Mike stilkey hits the books to make art entertainment. An artists inspiration mike stilkey part 2 of 3 youtube.
Whimsical paintings from books by mike stilkey interior. Using ink, colored pencil and paint to create his whimsical works of art, stilkey. Character art painted on stacks of books by mike stilkey. Aug 27, 2014 the artist calls his works book sculptures, and it is a really aptly chosen name. Weve been fans of labased book artist mike stilkey for quite a while now, so we were psyched when my modern met clued us in about his new exhibition, full. American artist mike stilkey uses books discarded by libraries to create his unusual artworks. The show, which runs through august 5th, is filled with paintings, collages, and of course, stilkey s famous painted book sculptures, including one amazing, 24foot creation featuring a severe. Books as visual art flavorpill has collected a bunch of stunning pieces of book artwork. Artist mike stilkey is painting artistic images on the spines of stacked books. He works with a mix of ink, colored pencil, paint and lacquer to create each artwork that can vary from anthropomorphic animals playing instruments to portraits of men and women inspired by weimarera german expressionism.
A short news story about american artist mike stilkey and the paintings he creates on the spines of books. His elongated forms of humans and animals with thin features are both simultaneously ghoulish and beautiful. Mike stilkeys paintings on salvaged books in pictures art and. Mike stilkeys book paintings give new life to salvaged. Using a mix of ink, colored pencil, paint and lacquer stilkey creates whimsical, and at times melancholic, painted sculptures of arranged. Jul 21, 2012 the show, which runs through august 5th, is filled with paintings, collages, and of course, stilkeys famous painted book sculptures, including one amazing, 24foot creation featuring a severe.
My reading and word obsession progressed to school book fairs and weekly visits to the library. Mar 18, 2011 home art more whimsical book paintings by mike stilkey 7 pieces by alice yoo on march 18, 2011 over the years, weve featured the wonderfully whimsical work of mike stilkey a few times see here and here and now the artist is back with some fresh new pieces. Amazing book paintings by mike stilkey oddity central. The work of mike stilkey took people by storm back in 2009 and he continues to astound with his latest crop of painted creations. Weve been fans of labased book artist mike stilkey for quite a while now, so we were psyched when my modern met clued us in about his new exhibition, full of smiles and soft intentions, which went up this month in hong kongs times square. Book riots best books of 2012 pamela paulsurds stylish book rug is crafted completely out of recycled book spines. Labased artist mike stilkey creates whimsical painted sculptures out of stacked books. More whimsical book paintings by mike stilkey 7 pieces. Jan 09, 2019 for years, weve been following mike stilkey s evergrowing collection of painted book art. And we are absolutely delighted with his new show, which took place last summer in hong kong. Artist breathes new life into old books by turning them into stacked sculptures.
Discarded books get a second chance in mike stilkeys. Jul 12, 2014 artist mike stilkey doesnt need to buy expensive canvas. See more ideas about book sculpture, book art and painted books. Artist mike stilkey doesnt need to buy expensive canvas. Artist creates stunning art using old books as his. Mike stilkeys wonderfully whimsical book paintings book art.
Artist mike stilkey creates paintings using old book covers from his local library. In the absence of a standard blank canvas, mike stilkey paints his dark yet cartoonishly charming works on towers of stacked. More stacked book artworks by mike stilkey daily design. Whatever your response, there is one word you cannot ignore. Swapping the traditional canvas for piles of salvaged books instead, he creates artworks that challenge peoples perception of the norm in ways that are still familiar and easy to digest. When i was very young, my mother used to read to me every night before i went to sleep. His work on stacked spines and covers reworks books into a beautiful, albeit unreadable, library. Jul 19, 2014 mike stilkey s paintings on salvaged books in pictures. For the past several years, artist mike stilkey has repurposed old books as a medium for his portraits of people and animals. If i can paint on them, im giving them a second chance. Artist mike stilkey uses the covers of discarded library books as canvases for his whimsical paintings, writes kathryn bromwich i am of such a mixed opinion.
Recent work by one of our favorites, labased artist mike stilkey previously here and here. The artist arranges thousands of old books and paints the books spines using pen and ink and acrylics. Artist mike stilkeys largescale book mural on display at. Today we have for you the incredible book paintings by artist mike stilkey from alta dena, california. The show was full of paintings, collages and of course the famous painted sculptures of books were created, they were still there to see. Aside from donating these books, a california artist from tarzana, mike stilkey found a way to turn discarded books into masterpieces. Artist mike stilkey uses the covers of books reclaimed from library trash heaps as a canvas for his whimsical paintings. Mike is a 39yearold from california whose ascent in the art world has been recent and swift and he has already exhibited.
With a combination of colored pencil, ink, paint, and lacquer, he then paints lively characters using the books. New paintings on salvaged books by mike stilkey colossal. Art book sculptures by mike stilkey the redhead riter. Art painted on stacks of books by mike stilkey aug 27, 2014 0 comment read interviews written and visual art go hand in hand perfectly, and the lines between the two are constantly being blurred by calligraphers or people who do book. Mike had been drawing on book pages for a very long time, even publishing a. Artist breathes new life into old books by turning them into stacked sculptures by kelly richmanabdou on january 9, 2019 for years, weve been following mike stilkey s evergrowing collection of book art. Mike stilkey is an internationally recognized artist who has always been attracted to painting and drawing not only on vintage paper, record covers and book pages, but on the books themselves.
Jul 24, 2014 artist mike stilkey reclaims the book covers of dozens of old books that otherwise would have been thrown out. The stacked book sculptures of mike stilkey viralbandit. For all you book lovers out there a rug made of book spines. Weve been fans of labased book artist mike stilkey for quite a while now, so we were psyched when my modern met clued us in about his new exhibition, full of smiles and soft intentions, which went up this month in hong kongs times. If a picture is worth a thousand words then a mike stilkey piece is worth about 2 million. Mike stilkey is an artist from alta dena, california, who creates amazing works of art by stacking spinepainted books mike had been drawing on book pages for a very long time, even publishing a. Find the latest shows, biography, and artworks for sale by mike stilkey. Discarded books get a second chance in mike stilkeys towering installations. They range in size from a few books to wallsized installations. More whimsical book paintings by mike stilkey 7 pieces by alice yoo on march 18, 2011 over the years, weve featured the wonderfully whimsical work of mike stilkey a few times see here and here and now the artist is back with some fresh new pieces. Mike is a 39yearold from california whose ascent in the art world has been recent and swift and he. Mike stilkey in 2020 painting, book sculpture, beautiful. Using a mix of ink, colored pencil, paint and lacquer, stilkey depicts a melancholic and at times a whimsical cast of characters inhabiting ambiguous spaces and narratives of.
The changing face of portraiture in carlsbad, california. A book tree art installation from american artist mike stilkey, has been erected in the coex starfield library in gangnam, seoul. There are some immediately recognisable visual images in this world and some very familiar artistic styles, and then occasionally, one meets new ones that are just immediately eyecatching and astonishing. Rather than allow them to be tossed away, artist mike stilkey creatings beautiful paintings on salvaged books he finds about to be tossed away by libraries who no longer have any use for them. More whimsical book paintings by mike stilkey 7 pieces book. Most of his childhood was spent in malibu lake, a small town stilkey describes as a hippy party community. Book paintings by mike stilkey weve been fans of labased book artist mike stilkey for quite a while now, so we were psyched when my modern met clued us in about his new exhibition, full of smiles and soft intentions, which went up this month in hong kongs times square. Stilkey uses a combination of ink, colored pencil, paint, and lacquer on the sculptures. Painted book sculptures by mike stilkey daily design.
And there is the inescapable comparison to such moody german expressionist artists from the 1930s as otto dix and egon schiele. Mike stilkeys wonderfully whimsical book paintings. Book paintings by mike stilkey mike stilkeys book paintings. Using a mix of ink, colored pencil, paint and lacquer, stilkey depicts a melancholic and at times a whimsical cast of characters inhabiting ambiguous spaces and.
Made from old book covers amazing paintings by mike stilkey hope you have an amazing day bonnie. Mike stilkey book sculpture building timelapse video youtube. He creates amazing work of art by painting on books. Using disposed and discarded reading material, the.
Mike stilkey, paintings on books book sculpture, altered. Found objects contemporary figurative painting contemporary surrealistic. The mike stilkey book sculptures feature images with accentuated gothic features reminiscent of the characters in tim burton films. For years, weve been following mike stilkeys evergrowing collection of painted book art. Steel support attaches to wall that is hidden by books. Internet book fetishists versus antifetishists book art. Here are a dozen of his works, some of which will be on display in the exhibition face to face.
Jul 21, 2014 artist mike stilkey has created a series of book sculptures in which he paints fantastical animal and human characters directly on stacks of books. Mike stilkey is an artist from alta dena, california, who creates amazing works of art by stacking spinepainted books. Using pen and ink and acrylics, stilkey has painted the books spines to depict a scene where wild and domestic animals are, as he puts it, taking back their. In a previous interview, stilkey says i was painting on book pages for forever, and actually published a book in 2005 titled 100 portraits. Stilkey arranges the faces and spines of books in groupings of varying size, ranging from a half dozen staked together to thousandstalltowers that fill public spaces. Artist mike stilkey uses the covers of discarded library books as canvases for his whimsical paintings, writes kathryn bromwich skip to main content the guardian back to home. He is best known for creating small and largescale installations that use discarded books as their canvas.
He works with a mix of ink, colored pencil, paint and lacquer to create each artwork that can vary from anthropomorphic animals playing instruments to portraits of men and women i. Paintings book sculptures projects world economic forum orange county great park monrovia public library ipic theatres beverly hills public library. This piece, entitled discarded romance, has found a permanent. Shelf b floating shelves designed by jens baumann in hamburg. Jul 10, 2014 artist mike stilkey uses the covers of books reclaimed from library trash heaps as a canvas for his whimsical paintings. The paintings themselves are beautiful in their own right, there is no doubt about it, but it is the fact they are painted on books, and that the books are arranged in a certain way, that make mikes works really stand out. Here are 14 of his magnificent book paintings sculptures. Artist mike stilkey uses the covers of discarded library books as canvases for his whimsical paintings, writes kathryn bromwich. Having books as the canvas for his paintings in this way is such an awesome idea. An artist uses discarded books to make his distinctive artworks. If art book or paperback only the solid timber frame seems to support the books. What books matter to him and whats up with all the cool animals in the paintings.
From age 8 to 14, stilkey attended a different school each year. Mike stilkeys paintings on salvaged books in pictures. Over the years, weve featured the wonderfully whimsical work of mike stilkey a few times see here and here and now the artist is back with some fresh. Scavenging throwaway books from library trash pile would suffice. Artist mike stilkey reclaims the book covers of dozens of old books that otherwise would have been thrown out. Jul 11, 2014 the work of mike stilkey took people by storm back in 2009 and he continues to astound with his latest crop of painted creations.