When people say “everything can be art” I often just shrug, because even though a pile of garbage or a starving dog can be called art, it isn’t necessarily art in the “wow, that’s an amazing work of art” kind of way. But then something pops up that is so amazing that my faith in modern art is revived.

Case in point: Brian Dettmer and his dissected books. I can’t really tell you much about these amazing creations other than that they are made entirely from old books. It just goes to show that with enough imagination and ingenuity, you can make beautiful art out of even the most mundane everyday objects.

Dettmer’s sculptures will be on display at the Kinz, Tillou + Feigen Gallery in New York from May 3rd to June 14th, 2008. More photos after the jump.