Painting Between the Lines

Writing and painting have been intertwined throughout history, but literature has of late become a diminished subject in the medium of painting, which has looked more to history, society and politics for inspiration. With Painting Between the Lines , the CCA Wattis reinvigorates the relationship between these two fields by commissioning 14 contemporary artists to create works based on descriptions of paintings in historical and contemporary novels. Here, art that until now has only existed in the mind’s eye can now be seen, as interpreted by the likes of Fred Tomaselli (on Samuel Beckett’s Watt ) and Marcel Dzama (on Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore ). Additional materials include images of first edition book covers and installation images from the accompanying exhibition. Enclosed in a slipcase, the catalogue is itself a take on the library practice of rebinding classic books in hardcover.