Hard-covered books have become a thing of the past with e-books and kindles taking over. Alexis Arnold has found a way to immortalize these forsaken objects. Collecting boxes of discarded books around her neighborhood, she conceptualized the idea of transforming the books into crystal sculptures. By adding glittering, living crystals to the pages of these unwanted books, she turns an unwanted found object into a stunning piece of work. Despite growing crystals on the books, she still retains the flexibility and softness of the pages, making for a more interesting sculpture. 

‘the crystallized book series addresses the materiality of the book versus the text or content of the book, in addition to commenting on the vulnerability of the printed book’ arnold describes on her website. ‘the crystals remove the text and transform the books into aesthetic, non-functional objects. the books, frozen with crystal growth, have become artifacts or geologic specimens imbued with the history of time, use, and nostalgia.” 

Learn more about the artist on her website here. 

via designboom