interdisciplinary artist Guy Laramée is a jack of all trades. he’s worked as a music composer, playwright, director, singer, painter, and sculptor, to name a few. most recently Laramée has been praised for his sculptural works, which include several series of carved book landscapes. he created the works by excavating thick, old books and carving their covers and pages to resemble mountains, volcanoes, seas, and caves. many of these creations are part of Laramée’s newest project, Guan Yin - a tribute to the “mysterious forces thanks to which [human beings] can traverse ordeals” like pain and grief. some of the works from Guan Yin can be viewed now at the Expression gallery in Quebec.

Laramée admits that he’s been fascinated with images of devastation ever since the death of his mother in 2011, which occurred a couple of days after the massive tsunami that took place in Japan. it is no wonder how or where he derived the inspiration for his topographical creations, which crete a distinct feeling of devastation in their jagged depiction of natural landscapes.

another possible interpretation of Laramée’s work suggests that his book landscapes are an attempt to build new structures through the demolition of old ones- recreating natural elements by reshaping manmade elements. no surprise that he’s attracted the attention of and inspired artists and non-artists alike. his works rely upon one of the most basic desiresof mankind: the drive to create something out of that which has been reduced to nothing.

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(sources: guylaramee.com, thisiscolossal.com)