Tree of Codes

Tree of Codes is an artwork, in the form of a book, created by Jonathan Safran Foer, and published in 2010. To create the book, Foer took Bruno Schulz's book The Street of Crocodiles and cut out the majority of the words. The publisher, Visual Editions, describes it as a "sculptural object."[1] Foer himself explains the writing process as follows: "I took my favorite book, Bruno Schulz’s Street of Crocodiles, and by removing words carved out a new story".[1]

Due to the physical difficulties involved in printing a book where most of the words have been cut out, Foer stated that he had to contact several different publishers before finding one who was willing to print it.[2]The only printing office who could do the job was die Keure, from Belgium. He also said that due to the way the book had to be bound, it could not be produced in a hardcover edition.[2]

Reception

The Times described it as "a true work of art."[3] Heather Wagner at Vanity Fair called it "a quietly stunning work of art."[2] Michael Faber, at The Guardian, said that while Foer showed a strong sense of poetry, the book was less successful as a work of fiction.[4]

Adaptation

The book is currently being adapted into an opera by the Australian composer Liza Lim. The joint production by Cologne Opera and Hellerau will feature ensemble musikFabrik.[5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Heller, Steven (24 November 2010). "Jonathan Safran Foer’s Book as Art Object". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wagner, Heather (10 November 2010). "Jonathan Safran Foer Talks Tree of Codes and Conceptual Art". VF Daily, an online magazine from Vanity Fair. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  3. ↑ "VE2: Tree of Codes". Visual Editions. Retrieved 2011-12-02. “A true work of art” – Erica Wagner, The Times
  4. ↑ Faber, Michel (18 December 2010). "Tree of Codes by Jonathan Safran Foer – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  5. ↑ musikFabrik, "The Ecstasy of Making Art". April 8, 2015.