Thomas Allen’s Latest Works Find New Artistic Perspectives in Dissected Old Science Books

We often think of science and research as academic pursuits. We assume that the only ones who can make true breakthrough discoveries are those who wear lab coats and use microscopes. <a href="http://inhabitat.com/thomas-allen-turns-tired-pulp-fiction-book-covers-into-pop-up-sculptures/">Thomas Allen</a>, an American artist originally from Michigan, would probably disagree. To Allen, important, earth-shattering discoveries—about ourselves and our world—linger all around us. Sometimes these amazing realizations can hide amount the mundane and overlooked; in his latest collection of work, he finds them in an old encyclopedia and science books from the early 1900's.

To celebrate both our pursuit and discovery of these hidden gems, Allen recently released a new series of cut book illustrations.

Each is a tiny masterpiece that requires the reader to change perspective or adjust their imagination to interpret the scene within.

The exhibit is called "<a href="http://thomasallenonline.com/2012/08/23/evidence/" target="_blank">Beautiful Evidence</a>" and will open with brunch at <a title="FOLEY" href="http://foleygallery.com/">FOLEY</a>on Sunday September 9, 2012 from 12PM-2PM.

Allen describes ""Most of my summer was devoted to paging through (and tearing pages from) the old science books, encyclopedias and primary readers that I’ve been collecting/hoarding since graduate school (1993-1996)–turning my tidy workspace into a total disaster!" explains Allen on his website. "After a solid week of making cutouts, I spent another four arranging (pinning/gluing/taping), photographing, stitching-together and color–correcting the overlapping exposures of 32 new images."

The result is <a href="http://inhabitat.com/6-amazing-works-of-art-made-using-recycled-books/">recycled book art</a> that acts as a juxtaposition of the old and the new, outdated perspectives colliding with modern interpretations, filled in with fresh color.

Twelve of Allen's "Beautiful Evidence" pieces will adorn the walls and mark the opening of FOLEY’s new location at 97 Allen Street, New York, NY 10002.