Joseph DeCamillis, who we first learned about on Beautiful/Decay, transforms vintage books into works of art by inserting miniature copper oil paintings into their covers. But his altered books are more than just two-dimensional pictures. DeCamillis collages other materials and personal writings with the paintings that play off the cover text, creating new narratives. Combining DeCamillis’ talent with his love of collecting and literature, the paintings are created with brushes that have three hairs or less. They are the size of a postage stamp. Once completed, DeCamillis seals the books shut forever. “Enshrining the miniatures in altered books establishes them as icons,” he writes on his website. The highway imagery is inspired by DeCamillis’ time living on the road in an old motor home. See more of DeCamillis’ whimsical book paintings in our gallery.
Image credit: Joseph Decamillis
Image credit: Joseph Decamillis
Image credit: Joseph Decamillis
Image credit: Joseph Decamillis
Image credit: Joseph Decamillis
Image credit: Joseph Decamillis
Image credit: Joseph Decamillis
Image credit: Joseph Decamillis
Image credit: Joseph Decamillis
Image credit: Joseph Decamillis
Image credit: Joseph Decamillis
Image credit: Joseph Decamillis