Banned Books Project

For the past six years, I’ve celebrated, immortalized and made art out of books that have been banned. I call it the Crystallized Banned Book Series.

Books have been burned, banned and challenged for multiple reasons: from the 1930’s Nazi literary purge by fire (Säuberung), to present-day book banning including the popular Harry Potter books which have been banned in the U.S. more than any other titles. Recently, the banning of books has become an epidemic in the United States and now more than ever we need to stand up for the freedom of words and ideas. Since 1990, the American Library Association has received reports of more than 18,000 attempts to ban books from schools and libraries.

My crystallized banned books celebrate and immortalize the beauty, power and timelessness of books. Each book, banned or challenged by a range of institutions and for a variety of reasons, is frozen in time by crystallization and transformed into an enduring piece of art; a geological artifact. I want to show that regardless of constantly changing political beliefs, and shifting societal values, words and books are ageless and will survive. These crystallized books symbolize the tenacity and persistence of truth through language despite attempts throughout history to lock books and ideas away from the hands and hearts of readers. Notwithstanding the continuous onslaught on intellectual freedom – books, and all the wisdom and joy they bring, will live on.

The Laconia Daily Sun Newspaper features Georgia Heard’s crystallized banned books exhibit. Click here to read.

Crystallized Banned Book Series

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