Books

January 4, 2026

Reference Books Are Carved and Cut Into Sculptures That Transform Knowledge Into Art

Artist Brian Dettmer transforms printed texts into awe-inspiring sculptures. Crafted through carving, Dettmer dives into existing books, often encyclopedias, atlases, or reference volumes, using knives and surgical tools. He does not add or rearrange content; instead, he removes material to expose images, diagrams, and fragments of text embedded within the pages. The resulting works resemble topographic reliefs or cross-sections of knowledge, where layers of information are uncovered through precise cuts.

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December 5, 2025

After 50 Years of Civil War, Photographer Captures the Untold Stories of Young Lebanese Women

A few years ago, Rania Matar returned to Lebanon, the country in which she was born but had fled nearly four decades earlier amid the civil war. She weaved through abandoned buildings alongside a young Lebanese woman, whom she intended to photograph for an upcoming project. Suddenly, the pair noticed something: graffiti scrawled across a crumbling wall, plaintively asking لوين روح؟ (Where do I go?).

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November 28, 2025

Photographer Blurs His Subjects to the Point of Psychedelic Abstraction

On a seemingly random day in 1997, Bill Armstrong spun the focus ring on his camera to infinity and captured an image. At that point, he had worked as a photographer for more than 20 years, shooting found collages composed of torn posters that he’d scavenge from the streets. This new photograph, however, was unlike anything he’d ever created before—it was blurry, hazy, an almost painterly abstraction of its subject.

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November 21, 2025

Illustrated Book Celebrates the Vibrant Beauty of Birds From Around the World

Showcasing nearly 400 bird species from around the world, The Illuminated Book of Birds by painter Robin Crofut-Brittingham is a dream come true for bird lovers. The newly released, beautifully illustrated book celebrates the remarkable diversity of our feathered friends, from the vibrant species of Latin America and Africa to the woodland birds of North America and Europe.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.