The Good Reader: Between the Lines

‘Between the Lines’ could be seen as an unconventional guide to Paris. The book is made up of brief texts on left-hand pages, where the artist describes personal encounters that took place in specific parts of the city. On right-hand pages are cool, clipped descriptions of the same location taken from travel guides. The real fragmented memories become a story; an unfolding tale of two people in a landscape. The real city lies somewhere between the two descriptions; hidden between the lines.

‘Between the Lines’ is one of several books from the series ‘The Good Reader’, curated by the artist Sharon Kivland for Ma Bibliothèque. Each book is an artists’ own imaginative response to the act of reading. This book has subsequently become part of the Tate’s book art collection.

Artist’s statement: “The art work came about after I discovered a stash of old Paris travel guides online on the Open Library. Memories flooded back as I flicked through the guides to find familiar sights. It was surprising to realise how specific places had particular feelings attached (some welcoming, others not so) – the experience was like going through old diaries or scrap-books. The gulf between the dry objectivity of the guide book descriptions and the heat of the memories was striking.”

Specifications: A5 pamphlet, 30 pages. Exterior: burgundy and black text on blue paper, Interior: black and burgundy text on cream paper. 50 copies, signed and editioned.