Widely known for his alteration of preexisting media such as old books, maps, record albums, and cassette tapes, contemporary artist Brian Dettmer is a native of Naperville, Illinois. He earned a BA in fine arts from Columbia College Chicago, where his principal focus was painting. Following graduation, he worked as an artist and in positions related to graphics and signage design. In recent years, a large body of his work has been created by altering books—old dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks, science and engineering books, art books, medical guides, atlases, and others. He cuts into the books, exposing select images and text to create intricate three-dimensional works that reveal new or alternative interpretations of the books. From 2006 until a recent move to New York City, he lived and worked in Atlanta. His work has been exhibited widely in museums and galleries around the world.