EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Mike Stilkey's Whimsical Book Art
- Author: Faith-Ann Young
- Posted on: Friday February 26, 2010 at 12:00 PM
- Filed under: art, book art, mike stilkey, la art, alta dena, stilkey, books, book painting
MIKE STILKEY painting on a wall of books.
"The book is dying," artist Mike Stilkey reminds us. Therefore, in an effort to expose and enhance the beauty of the yellowed page and bounded form - which indeed, if Ipad and Kindle's world domination strategies succeed, will one day become simply museum memorabilia - Mike paints within books, around books, on stacks of books (which he nobly calls "book sculptures"), and most impressively on walls lined from floor to ceiling with books.
We found this unconventional book art so intriguing that we trekked through monsoon weather early this February to the little suburb outside Los Angeles, Alta Dena, California, to visit the artist's cozy art studio.
See his fantasy world where technology and time has stopped in the clip below.
Hopefully afterward, you'll hopefully retreat to the couch with a good, thick, colorfully-bound book?
Mike's subjects tend to be Jack Sprat-looking men, sexy red-lipped mavens and plenty of animals. (His style is a bit Tim Burton-esque, no?) When he's not painting on books, he sometimes uses old vinyl covers as canvases. Seriously recession friendly art.
An Exhibit of Mike's installation @ Rice Gallery in Texas.
Next Interview: Mumford And Sons Pre-Concert
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COMMENTS
“ Very creative. He creates his own canvas out of his novels. Thats pretty cool. I guess its a Book Mural :) ”
“ This is really incredible!!!woooowwwww!!!!:D ”
“ Wow, That's amazing! I want to do that now! I love painting. ”
“ I love books and I think using them for art is such an interesting idea. ”
“ very coooool .Awesome. very beautifull. ”
“ Wow! Love this. Amazing work. ”
“ Awesome! #BrazilWantsJT ”
“ Extra cool. Love the idea and the purpose. ”
“ Damnn , I LOVE IT , IT IS SOO AWESUM RESPECT 4 THAT GUY , LET HIM NEVER STOP WITH MAKING ART , LOVE ”
“ Damnn , I LOVE IT , IT IS SOO AWESUM RESPECT 4 THAT GUY , LET HIM NEVER STOP WITH MAKING ART , LOVE ”
