It’s been said that he who destroys a good book kills reason itself. But artist Robert The has his own reasons for vandalizing old books and carving them into gun shapes. “I feel like I’m resuscitating a piece of debris,” says The, who gets the books from Dumpsters, thrift shops, and garage sales. “There’s a certain aura something gets when it’s considered refuse.”
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A California native and current Woodridge resident, the 35-year-old The made his first book gun six years ago. Searching for what he calls “the direct fusion of word and form,” he started cutting letters out of hardback books. While spelling the word REAL, he noticed the letter L resembled a gun. He crafted a few pieces and began hawking them on the streets of New York’s Lower East Side. They were a hit, so he made some more.
The is reluctant to betray his trade secrets, saying only that he uses a power saw. “Paper is harder to cut than wood,” he says. “I must go through thousands of blades a year.” Bindings remain intact to form the barrel of each gun, so you can still flip through pages. Cutting into books has taught The a lot about how they’re put together. Books from the 1960s are of better quality than those produced in the 1980s, he says, “but there seems to be a resurgence in bookbinding right now.”
Seventy of Robert The’s book guns are included in “The Gun Show,” a group exhibit of weapons-related artwork at the Aron Packer Gallery, 1579 N. Milwaukee (suite 205). It closes tomorrow, May 17. Hours are noon to 6 Friday and noon to 5 Saturday. Call 773-862-5040 for more.
