30 July,2012 10:10 AM IST | | Ruchika Kher
She compares the process of creating a book sculpture to that of meditation and doesn't like any disturbance when she's at it. "It's about total control of your senses. It requires skill but more than that, the body, mind and soul must function simultaneously, in one direction," shares Aditi Babel, who has a Masters in Design from IIT Bombay, and makes unusual and unique sculptures out of books under her brand, Babel Books. Aditi, who has been making book sculptures since 2009, learnt this art in Italy.
The Animal Book
For art's sake
"It occurred to me when I was studying the art of book making in Italy. I was creating artist books and studying traditional forms of printmaking and book making when I was introduced to altered books. I have been creating books since then," she says. As a creator of these pieces of art, Aditi likes her space while working on what she loves: "Usually, I begin my sculptures in the early hours of the day. I need my basic tools around, and absolute peace. Taking one page at a time and following a process for each and every page is what makes it unique at the end."
Aditi Babel
Aditi's talent ensures that she is able to understand the importance of every fold, and its effect to the structure after which she applies each fold for every page, skillfully, to attain a sense of harmony and rhythm. "The sculpture looks alive and magnificent after it is complete because of focus, precision and skill applied to it," she fills in.
Although Aditi has created many sculptures from books, her most painstaking work till date, is christened Circle of Life, "Not because of its structure but for the age of paper. After a point of time it became challenging to continue the folds keeping these precise and in rhythm to the previous ones. I did not want to rip any paper off, so, it took much longer to finish the book sculpture," the sculptor elaborates. The next time you want to turn your old books into something out-of-the-box, it's just a click away.
