Ancient Books Transformed into Serene Natural Landscapes

By Judy Berman

June 13, 2012

Back in January, we marveled over the work of Guy Laramée, a Canadian artist who carves breathtakingly detailed natural landscapes into thick, decaying, and sometimes warped antique books. But when Colossal alerted us that Laramée had posted some new work on his website, we couldn’t resist posting another set of these beautiful and moving images. The first seven pieces you’ll see below are from Guan Yin, a series inspired both by last year’s Japanese tsunami and the death of the artist’s mother; Laramée writes that it is “dedicated to the mysterious forces thanks to which we can traverse ordeals.” El amor por las montañas nos curara (in English, Our love for mountains will heal us), the set from which the final two images are taken, encompasses the Zen-like appreciation for natural wonders its title implies.