Inspired by the landscapes and cultures of South America, French Canadian artist Guy Laramee turns out aesthetically marvelous book sculptures, which he shows in Montreal, Quebec. He says that in his pieces, a distance is created between the viewer and the landscape that cannot be achieved in real life. Also, his art helps us recognize our dual roles as both a participant and an observer in life. But what’s most interesting about his work is the latent existential philosophy he intends to communicate through it.
Laramee’s most stunning and well-known works are sculptures made from obsolete books, such as old dictionaries and encyclopedias. He carefully carves out the pages of these books to recreate mountains, caves, cliffs and other landscapes of South America with extraordinary detail. Laramee claims that the inspiration for these sculptures stems from the ever-changing face of culture and the reality that, in time, all cultures become eroded and obsolete. Laramee’s book sculptures are also testament to the impending death of paper books, which are increasingly being replaced by digital versions. In his statement that appears on his website, Laramee rhetorically asks whether new cultures and new technologies will ever change our existential dilemmas or the human condition. Literally speaking, the answer is inevitably “no.” New inventions have not yet been able to completely cure meaninglessness, isolation or mortality in life, some of the most prominent existential issues. As North Americans, we’re often plagued with this problem. Nonetheless, we continue to pursue advanced lifestyles under the false assumption that they will reduce our pain or preserve our bodies. Rather than dwelling on this unsettling notion, Laramee wills these obsolete books into something that does not require a definite meaning, but that just “is”—a timeless piece of art.
The artist also pays tribute to “The Richter Principle” or “The Cloud of Unknowing,” a principle credited to romantic painter Gerhard Richter that suggests we do not discover things, but discover ourselves through things. Thus, we must accept that we know very little in order for us to understand more about the self. This proposition dates back to the 6th century, where Chinese Taoists were already enlightened by this rule. The Greek philosopher Aristotle also supported this claim by announcing “I know that I know nothing.” Laramee’s three-dimensional (3-D) work of art, “The Cloud of Unknowing,” represents the screen through which we see the world. Our perception is the only means by which we can make sense of things around us, and thus, perception does not teach us about the outside world, but about ourselves and our perception.
To learn more about Guy Laramee and his work, visit his website www.guylaramee.com
images: Guy Laramee (used with permission)
Enjoy some of Laramee’s book sculptures here:
