# Stacked Book Portraits The Mike Stilkey Book Sculptures Have a Novel Design By Alex Scott | Published 2010-02-04 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mike-stilkey-book-sculptures References: [ifitshipitshere.blogspot](http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2009/12/judging-art-by-its-cover-book.html) & [mikestilkey](http://www.mikestilkey.com/) Mr. Stilkey wants to make sure you do exactly what people have told you not to do to literature: judge a book by its cover. In that case, the words contained within these Mike Stilkey Book Sculptures must be some of the most brilliant ever written. The Los Angeles-based artist glues [old books together](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/penguin-x-moebe-book-stand) and paints [beautiful murals over their spines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/surreal-street-art-1) using a combination of pencils and acrylic paint. The Mike Stilkey Book Sculptures feature images with accentuated Gothic features reminiscent of the characters in Tim Burton films. If a picture is worth a thousand words then a Mike Stilkey piece is worth about 2 million. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.3/10 - Popularity: 29% | Activity: 2% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Book Sculptures:** Transforming books into art creates opportunities for innovative storytelling and visual experiences. - **Mixed Media Art:** Combining different artistic mediums, such as books and paint, opens doors for unique and unconventional artistic expressions. - **Gothic Inspired Art:** Incorporating gothic features in art provides a platform for exploring dark and intriguing themes in a visually captivating manner. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Art and Design:** Artists and designers can explore the concept of book sculptures and mixed media art to create new and thought-provoking artworks. - **Publishing and Literature:** Publishers and authors can explore collaborations with artists to bring books to life in innovative ways through book sculptures. - **Film and Entertainment:** Film directors and producers can draw inspiration from gothic-inspired art for creating visually stunning and captivating movies and TV shows. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Sculptural Bookshelves Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sculptural-bookshelf.md) - [3D-Printed Flip Books](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/stl-sculptures.md) - [Detailed Ceramic Book Vases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/biblio-bloom.md) - [Meticulous Paper-Stacked Chairs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/paragraphic-in-four-stacks.md) - [Provocative Banned Books Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/banned-books-jail.md) - [Customizable Book Portraits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lagom-collection1.md) - [Book-Themed Collectibles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/booksy.md) - [Revolving Bright Kinetic Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/library-of-light.md) - [Book-Storing Side Tables](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bookgroove-bookrack.md)