| BOOK REVIEW (This review has also been published at www.701.com) |
| THE ART OF DECEPTION - BY SERGIO KOKIS TRANSLATED BY W. DONALD WILSON Reviewed by Diane Wells |
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| I found this an extremely difficult book to read. The story line, taking place in the late-�60s, initially in Montr�al and then in various European cities, revolves around a decidedly unlikable and obnoxious art student, Max Willem. The plot begins interestingly enough, describing how cold and detached Max is towards the opposite sex, objectifying them in a way that only an artist could. In fact, Max is a man obsessed with the concept of sublimata � layers hidden below the surface, particularly in the human female body, which he yearns to penetrate, not just with his penis, but with his paintbrush. This theme of exposing masquerade reverses as well into the preservation of emotional and mental fa�ades, otherwise known as deceptions. Max is not exempt from exercising his own deceptions. When Max realizes he has become an expert at replicating the painting style of certain established artists, he embarks on a career as a counterfeiter, little knowing that he has indentured himself to the mafioso of the art dealer�s world. This turn of events should have been an interesting sub-plot, but for a good long portion of the book, the narration is quite stifling. Although Max possesses the talent necessary to copy the other painters� surface style, he needs to undergo an apprenticeship to discover the hidden subtleties inherent in producing replicas from another age. This is certainly credible, but Kokis concerns himself overly much with giving lectures on art history and restoration which, I would think, would be redundant for anyone already educated in that field. As a layperson, I found this lengthy section of the book to be very dull reading. In fact, I was practically on the verge of giving up the story at this point as a lost cause. I can understand, however, the disheartening and somewhat shocking account of the business relationships among art collectors, art dealers and the artists themselves. While this part became rather tedious to read as well, it served at least to connect the reader with the frustration that Max begins to feel, once he realizes he has compromised his artistic integrity for the sake of money. If you can get past this leg of the book, the author regains the reader�s interest, especially with the emotional and graphic Valentine/Verushka episode, although the ending, both of this episode and the story itself, was ultimately anticlimactic: deception is exposed as the enslaving entity it is � artistic or not. |
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