Writing is, of course, art. For centuries it has been part of the family of arts, alongside music and drama and painting and sculpture. Certainly, when I write a vivid description of a place, I picture myself as an artist before a canvas, carefully layering up texture and colour to transport my reader to the setting.

But why not go a step further – why not blend the medium of writing, the book, with another art form? Why not take the printed pages and shape them into a sculpture that says, ‘Look at me. Look how beautiful and evocative and transformative a book can be.’ And thus was born the increasingly popular art form known as book art – recycling old books into works of art.

Book art brings together two of my favourite things in the world: the printed book and objets d’art. Wonderfully imaginative artists who are also keen bibliophiles take a book as the starting point for an innovative and inspirational artwork. Jodi Harvey-Brown is one such artist, and her interpretation of classic novels through sculpture is truly breathtaking – take a look at this article for pictures. Another artist in Edinburgh, Scotland, makes the most amazingly detailed sculptures and leaves them as anonymous gifts – see this BBC News piece.

If, like me, you love the book as art, I recommend a browse through the following websites that feature breathtakingly clever sculptures:

• http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/book-paper-sculptures/
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/gallery/2012/nov/30/scotland-secret-book-sculptures-in-pictures
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/9211702/Book-sculpting-by-Alexander-Korzer-Robinson.html?frame=2196625
• http://pinterest.com/Bmetamorphosis/books-sculptures/
• http://pinterest.com/wetcanvas/book-sculptures/

The following video is also well worth a look:

In addition, I highly recommend Book Art: Iconic Sculptures and Installations Made from Books for a superbly illustrated coffee-table book – that’s if you can get to grips with the idea of a book about books that are no longer books!