Some people consider reading books to be one of the best hobbies in the world. Learning and knowledge are expanded, new locations can be visited without going anywhere, and the imagination is fed. But what if the only use for books was reading? What if you could also use them as a material for artwork?
Elisabet Sagan began reconnecting with the publishing world in 2016 after a long reading slump, according to the artist. After she began to search for new books and trends, she found Bookstagram, an online community on Instagram that shares book recommendations. Elizabeth herself began posting images of books she read after a while, and her posts became more complex over time.
Elizabeth does not perform this project by herself. She works with her best friend, @jamestrevino, and they used their extensive library to build the complicated book structures you see on their accounts. Together with James, they maintain an account called @mybookfeatures, which serves as a photo gallery and inspirational platform for people who dislike reading. The community they establish together shares their discoveries and recommendations with those who share their interests.
Do you have any curiosity about how these art installations are created? Elizabeth also gave some insight into her working method and admitted that the most difficult part of the process is... To create content for her and James' Bookstagram accounts, she leaves her home city every few weeks. She draws from books, movies, and pop culture for a few days to make as much of it as possible. She has a high standard that she set for herself, and that is coming up with great ideas.
At the moment, Elizabeth has 195,000 Instagram followers who enjoy her work with book installations. The artist admitted that she was taken aback by the attention that her work garnered.
She sees herself first as a reader and second as a photographer, but her love of books goes hand in hand with her own artistic self. She couldn't have anticipated reaching this stage, but she's very pleased things worked out this way.
Jean Dubreil