Surrealistisch bouwwerk opgetrokken uit boeken 1967 - 1969

Peter Collien made this surreal etching of a building constructed from books, sometime after 1938. The precarious, teetering structure of Collien’s tower speaks to the weight of history and the accumulated knowledge of the past. The image creates meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. Collien was Dutch, and this work reflects the influence of Northern European traditions of the "grotesque" and the "fantastic," evident in the architectural construction and the iconography of skulls and classical busts. The work’s commentary on established institutions and forms of knowledge, from religion to classical philosophy. The tower of books could be a critique of libraries and museums, institutions that claim to preserve and organize culture, but which can also become overwhelming and inaccessible. The history of art provides us with the tools to better understand the image. Consider the research resources such as the artist’s other works, critical essays and the social and institutional contexts of its creation that allow us to reflect on how social and institutional context influence artistic expression and meaning.