Mike Stilkey’s Book Art

 

Book lovers everywhere: if you haven’t already met, may I introduce you to Mike Stilkey? He’s an artist, living and working in LA. He also loves books. And he creates—amongst other things—amazing book art that combines trash-destined books (the canvas) and melancholic, eccentric characters (the subjects). His pieces range in size from huge, site-specific works to smaller stacked sculptures using only 4 or 5 books. No matter the scale, they’re lovely.

Oh, those books! Such a clever solution to the problem of books being culled from local libraries. Stilkey’s work gives them new life and purpose. Creating with them this way, he tells a tale in paint—and ink, and pencil and lacquer—on a canvas that is itself so ripe with stories that you want to explode. Ok, maybe not you. But I want to explode, witnessing all that beauty and story-potential. When I look at his work I feel a sense of love and longing that I don’t want to go away.

Check him out here: mikestilkey.com