In his work, artist Stephen Biesty deconstructs complex objects such as bridges, ships, buildings, cars, and the human body. He “cuts” objects into layers and parts to show their internal structure.
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Biesty was inspired by the paintings of L. Ashwell Wood, who also depicted objects in cross-section.
Biesty calls his illustrations “atmospheric cross sections.” But he doesn't just show static cuts; he tells the story through cuts. Inside the object are hundreds of characters strolling through medieval England or riding a Spanish galleon.
For example, for the book Medieval Castle, Biesti depicted a spy who begins his journey outside the castle on the title page, enters the castle, and finally leaves on the final page.
Stephen Biesty rose to fame in the early 1990s when he created the Miraculous Sections series, which sold 3.5 million copies.