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François du Plessis

guest artist

Francois du Plessis turns old books into art objects. He combines book spines, front and back covers, headbands and book cuts to create breathtaking sculptures and collage-like wall objects. 

Each of these book works of art creates its own new “book story”, which is made up of different books, their material properties and the artistic composition and which tells far more than meets the eye at first glance.

A book title on a book spine can, for example, B. give a hint as to what this book is about, but the stories, thoughts, emotions and experiences printed behind the spines remain hidden in Francois du Plessis' sculptures.

The color of his works of art is determined by the material. The choice of material is influenced by his memories of his childhood on a farm in South Africa. He associates it with the colorful clothing and jewelry of the Ndebele women in his hometown of Pretoria, whose color scale is reflected in his sculptures.

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“The only content of the books that remains is the title of a book, which I also use as the title of my artwork.”

Furthermore, he is inspired by the inexhaustible variety of ideas and aesthetics of nature. To do this, the artist photographs them like a painter uses his sketchbook. Many of his works resemble cross-sections of an ancient tree trunk. His homage to the “works of art of nature” is evident in his works.

 

Francois du Plessis searches for materials through flea markets, antique shops and estates. He carefully chooses which books he will use. The literary content of the books is of no interest to him. 

He is more interested in the colors, shapes and material of the books.

The colored book cuts (colored finishing of paper edges) are the most interesting for him because his works of art remain untreated and natural. The gold cutting of hymn books gives some of his works of art a special shine.

With his analog book art, Francois du Plessis highlights the cultural significance of the book medium in the growing digital world and invites us to appreciate its appreciation as an art form. The sculptures and wall collages by Francois du Plessis are therefore a homage to the book as a cultural asset.

Stefan Reiss, OT683, galerie probst Berlin
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Stefan Reiss, OT682, galerie probst Berlin
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