Good as Gold

Viewers of Good as Gold by Donald Lipski might consider the abstrusity of books drilled with holes placed on an eight foot tall round steel form. Upon further observation however, the commanding work might be interpreted as a literal representation of the portal through which readers travel to alternate worlds via books. Most of the books included in the work were sourced from a Bridgehampton, New York Book Barn, but Lipski incorporated withdrawn items from The Kansas City Public Library’s collection as well. Each book was selected based on size, color, and subject matter. Lipski attributes the title to author Joseph Heller’s novel “Good as Gold”. Lipski's use of books as an artistic medium has a long history. Later in his career, he reached a point where he decided to focus on books alone as the raw material. Expressing a fascination with the paradoxical nature of these sculptures, Lipski enjoys the juxtaposition between the fragility of individual books and the enormity of weight in a completed piece.
Good as Gold
Good as Gold, detail
Good as Gold, detail
Good as Gold
Good as Gold, detail
Good as Gold, detail
Inventory
Collection Number
17328
Building
Current Location
Entry Way
Floor
1st
Description
Details
Good as Gold by Donald Lipski, is a 500 lb. sculpture comprised of books and steel.
Artist
Artist Dates
1947-present
Artist Nationality
American
Accession Date
Framed
No
Width
28 inches
Height
108 inches
Length
96 inches
Object Type
Permissions
Reproduce the Work in Library publications/publicity, including film or videotape
Yes
Reproduce
Library has Photography Rights
Yes
Photograph
Permit the general public to photograph the work
Yes
Slides/Video