He has worked in diverse areas like being a music composer for contemporary dance, composing sceneography for theater, writing, designing and building musical instruments, writing and directing short films, painting, pursuing his investigations in the field of anthropology and lately for the past 13 years carving out absolutely stunning sculptures out of books.
He is a very driven artist and has very strong views; apparently contradictory to the commonly held beliefs in society. According to him "My work, in 3D as well as in painting, originates from the very idea that ultimate knowledge could very well be an erosion instead of an accumulation. I want to examine thinking, not only 'what' we think, but 'that' we think "
His latest project also tries to get across this message to the viewer. His concept in this project here is that mountains of unused knowledge on being carved out and being painted returns to being mountains. He creates his book sculptures by eroding unwanted portions out of books using a grinding tool and then painting the contoured and eroded outer surface with suitable colors.
He has created beautiful valleys, mountains, canyons, fields and even waves using this technique. The viewer is but captivated by his creations and is left wondering about the creation of each of his master pieces. You can see some examples of his work in his interview with us. If you like what you see here then be sure to checkout all his work in the galleries on his website.
In spite of his busy schedule Guy was good enough to talk to us about his creations. Read on to find out more.
Hi Guy, please introduce yourself to our readers.
I hate to speak about myself, sorry. I had a bio written (on my website) to avoid having to do this over and over again. Speaking about myself is contradictory with the aim of this life : overcoming the fiction of the "I".
His bio can be read on his website at this link.
Being an artist for the past 30 years, how has your journey been along the way? Tell us something about your earlier projects?
It's been from crisis to crisis. I don't think you can or should try to avoid crisis. But you cannot fabricate them either. I had to quit music, I did not want to. But the "center did not hold" anymore, as Yeats has it. So it went from losing one center to losing the other. All the way down, until you are no longer in the way and the work can be born without a "me" claiming property over it.
What prompted you to get into the exquisite art form of creating landscapes out of books? Could you explain why you feel that we live in times of excessive knowledge and why we could be better off with knowing less? What is your concept of “thick cloud of unknowing”?
It is not that we should try to know less, but we certainly should examine our obsession with "knowing". What we intend by "knowing", generally, is "knowing things". But who is the knower ? is a question we don't really ask. We ask it in the terms prescribed by psychology, as adding more description to this "I" we think we are. But the endless questioning that true spirituality is about, this questioning is obliterated by our obsession with the content of consciousness. My work is not about "What" we think, but about "That" we think.
The Cloud of Unknowing is the title of an anonymous work by a English christian mystic of the 12th century. But the content of the book is relevant to most contemplative traditions. My work is about finding our way back to contemplation. Contemplation is not about looking at something, it is about abolishing the frontier between the observer and the observed.
In contemplation, the Knower is felt, but not seen. The eye cannot see itself. The reflection in the mirror, or the eye that is found in reflective knowledge, is not the eye per say. That's what is meant by "unknowing". It may sound like undoing your certainties - and there is certainly a bit of that - but it is really about losing yourself.
What do you feel when you see a book or a pile of books? What inspires you to come up with different projects?
Inspiration is a tricky things. Try to find where it comes from and you lose it. I would not want to lose her favors by being too explicit.
What tools do you use to create these wonderful landscapes out of books?
From chainsaw to tooth brush... Really, a whole array of tools and each work command a different technique. The Oracle comes packaged with the tips for realizing it...!
You have been carving landscapes out of books for the past 13 years, which means you must have used a lot of books. Do you keep track of the number of books you have used so far? And just for the record from where do you get all these books?
Indeed, I keep track of everything. I used 10,342.5 books in the process. I've used 3.567 Gigs of words to promote and describe the work, and about 15,300 gallons of arm juice (sweat). I say "about" for the last figure because it is very difficult and very costy to keep track of the expenditure in water as far as the body is concerned.
Regarding where I find my books, this is a secret but I agree to reveal it today : in book stores.
Could you please share details of the longest book carving that you have done, and how long did it take you to complete it?
It takes from from one minute to five (5) months. The longest was The Grand Library.
What is your frame of mind, when you are creating landscapes out of books? What is the biggest compliment that you have received for your artwork?
Frame of mind : Get me out of here. Thank you for letting me this. Get me out of here. Thank you...etc etc...
Biggest compliment : Thank you.
What are your future plans? Any dream projects that you want to work on?
My dream project is to stop living in projects.
When not carving landscapes out of books, what activities do you personally enjoy doing? What do you find most relaxing?
I like to walk.
What is the one most important piece of advice that you would like to give to aspiring and budding artists?
WORK !!
Thank you guy for taking the time for this interview, your artwork is truly inspiring and we wish you the very best for the future. :)
You can read more about Guy Laramee at his website.
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