Altered Art: Techniques for Creating Altered Books, Boxes, Cards & More - Hardcover

*Starred Review* It is understandable that scrapbooking remains a "hot" craft (see our Spotlight interview, on p.705), given the satisfaction so many people derive from preserving souvenirs of personally memorable events, such as photographs, printed programs, and postcards. Also growing in popularity among crafters is "altered art," defined by veteran and versatile crafter, artist, and craft writer Taylor as "using ordinary objects to create art." Any sort of found object will do, from old books to a discarded file box to an old greeting card. The point of altered art, then, is to take the starting-point object and add other objects or decorations to it, as a way of expressing a personal aesthetic vision or statement. (The fortunate thing is that traditional artists' skills, such as drawing and painting, are not required--just some thought, planning, and imagination.) The illustrations in this book are numerous, gorgeous, and absolutely helpful, supporting an encouraging text that starts with general information, including basic techniques and ideas about selecting a starting-point object. Other crafters then join Taylor in presenting and explaining specific projects. No self-respecting crafter will be able to resist plunging straight in. Brad Hooper
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Adult/High School–Flush with gorgeous color examples, packed with helpful hints, and crammed with inspiring ideas, this title is an absolute must for any YA collection. Making art or jewelry from old Altoids tins, scrap photos, game pieces, and other found objects appeals to an edgier crowd than the scrapbook-faithful, though scrapbookers will also find much of interest here. Taylor begins with a brief history of altered art (Joseph Cornell was an early practitioner), discusses copyright issues with regard to borrowed images, then moves straight into techniques, tools, and a phenomenal gallery of a variety of artists' works. The author includes a few projects with step-by-step instructions, but not too many; the emphasis is on readers realizing their own voices, obsessions, and interests in original pieces. Altered Art is without a doubt one of the finest craft books available.–Emily Lloyd, formerly at Rehoboth Beach Public Library, DE
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