Three-dimensional text

Stephen Doyle, of Doyle Partners in New York, has developed a skill for paper sculptures, alongside his many other talents. As well as their astonishing visual complexity, there is a certain irony to the sculptures, as they turn two-dimensional words into three dimensional sculptures – often with the one commenting on the other. In the sculpture below, the words from Machiavelli’s Discourses about how easy it is to deceive those who are willing to be deceived, are fashioned into an M1-A1 tank, as used in the invasion of Iraq. Is the picture a commentary on the words or the other way around, I wonder?

Image: feltandwire

As a preacher, I often like to refer to myself as a wordsmith – hammering out the word on the anvil of experience to fashion some kind of prophetic reality. Doyle’s three-dimensional word sculptures serve as a reminder about the importance of that task. In the act of preaching God’s word takes three dimensional form and walks out amongst the congregation.  as Bonhoeffer puts it ‘The word arises out of the Bible,takes shape as the sermon and enters into the congregation in order to bear it up’.

Of course, in order to do that, the preacher must take the task of interpretation seriously – which is where another of  Doyle’s artworks really gives food for thought:

Image: feltandwire

In an interview for Felt & Wire, Doyle said :’I used to think I was interested in typography, but I’m not. I’m actually interested in language, in the power of words.’

Aren’t you?