The work of Cape Town-based artist Barbara Wildenboer continues to astound audiences around the world. Her latest series, The Lotus Eaters, turns vintage books into sprawling paper sculptures that could easily be likened to the nervous system of the written works. Visually striking, to say the least, Barbara Wildenboer's series once again shows that physical books can easily enjoy a life after being displaced by e-books.
Yet Barbara Wildenboer goes even deeper than that sentiment. The Contemporist writes, "She works across several academic disciplines to showcase how our understanding of life is often mediated through text, stretching the world of each book she manipulates outside of its own cover." By drawing such a connection, she tethers her audience to the paper sculptures in a powerful way.
Sprawling Paper Sculptures
Barbara Wildenboer Envisions the Nervous System of Books
Trend Themes
1. Vintage Book Art - Repurposing vintage books into art installations.
2. Paper Sculptures - Creating intricate sculptures using paper and book pages.
3. Cross-disciplinary Art - Incorporating multiple academic disciplines into art creation.
Industry Implications
1. Art and Design - Collaborate with artists to incorporate paper sculptures and vintage book art into exhibit designs.
2. Book Publishing - Create limited edition book covers featuring paper sculptures and promote them as a collectible item.
3. Education - Incorporate paper sculptures and cross-disciplinary art into school curriculums to showcase the mediating effects of text in understanding life.