Forever Know Me by James Allen

This Book Excavation was created using a book about the history of the Christian church titled Church of Our Fathers originally published in 1950. I fell in love with the unique red ochre illustrations that fill the book. Demons, crusaders, saints, apostles, Moses, Jesus, and other characters fill the pages. As I cut through the pages all these figures layered up into a condensed history of the church. The words Forever Know Me just happened to line up perfectly above the head of a man wielding a sword about to behead an enemy of the church. Must see TV! Oregon Art Beat, a weekly arts program on Oregon Public Broadcasting, has a fascinating segment about James Allen and his book excavations. Great video showing the process behind his art, in an in-depth, accessible manner. Watch it here. ABOUT BOOK EXCAVATIONS A book excavation is a sculptural work of art made by transforming various types of old books using precise cuts with a scalpel or knife, carving pages one by one until an a