Recently, I (and a handful of other writers) had the privilege of having a short story we wrote adapted into a piece of visual art that was then displayed in an art gallery. It was a surreal but ultimately very cool experience—once I got past the nervousness, anyway. I spent the whole day leading up to the event thinking, “What if I hate it? What if it doesn’t capture the vibe I was going for?”
Here is what the art looked like:
Thankfully, I liked it – but it was also very different than what I expected. Talking about art is always a little weird, so I won’t drag on too long. However, seeing so many curved lines surprised me. There were a lot of almost-circles and bubble shapes. My story takes place in a hospital – a place that doesn’t usually (to me) evoke this kind of softness. But I liked it, and talking with the artist about their interpretation was very helpful. It captured “the vibe” – just a different one. (and if you want to see more art from this artist, you can see their work on Instagram @fluidcreature_creations).
And this got me thinking more broadly about adaptations. Many books have been adapted into movies and television shows, but fewer books have been adapted into works of art. Here are some of my personal favorites:
Don Quixote by Pablo Picasso (1955)
This sketch first appeared in an August edition of a French journal in 1955. It depicts Cervantes’s title character, Don Quixote de la Mancha, and his companion, Sancho Panza, on their steeds (a horse and a donkey, respectively). This sketch differed from Picasso’s previous Blue, Rose, and Cubist periods – it contains bold lines to portray these iconic characters and windmills. While a literary classic, Don Quixote is also just a funny story—it’s chaotic and silly in some ways, which I think comes across in Picasso’s line work.
Ophelia by Sir John Everett Millais (1851/1852)
There are a few paintings of Shakespeare’s damsel. Still, this one is most admired for its realism and the juxtaposition of the beautiful scenery against Ophelia’s tragedy. At this time, there was interest in the “language of flowers,” which is to say that flowers carry symbolic meaning. The prominent red poppy in the painting represents sleep and death.
Mad Tea Party by Salvador Dali (1969)
Who else could possibly depict the surreal, slightly scary whimsy that is Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland better than Salvador Dali? He actually created 12 different prints – one for each chapter of the book, but this one really pulls you down the visual rabbit hole.
After “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison, the Prologue by Jeff Wall (1999/2000)
The last work of art I want to discuss is a staged photograph, not a painting. Ellison’s novel explores the struggles of an unnamed African American man. In the prologue, he describes his basement room lit by 1369 lightbulbs. Jeff Wall, a photographer known for his elaborate sets, gives a detailed form to Ellison’s story and an otherwise anonymous narrator.
As mentioned earlier, there is more than just this list here (and I implore you to seek them out), but what I want to leave you with is some light (and hopefully fun!) homework. It has 2 parts:
- Think about your favorite books. Which ones would you love to see made into a work of art? Which ones do you hold too closely to want to let someone else interpret the images you have made in your brain?
- Make something based on your favorite book. It doesn’t need to be “art gallery-worthy” – even taking a picture on your phone counts. Stick figure characters count!
Now, I’m not asking you to turn this in; I won’t even know if you will do it or not. But I hope you give it a try. Maybe you’ll catch a different vibe.
Seeing my work in a different form reminded me of the flexible and subjective world that art lives in, and while the artist may come in with their own meaning and form, someone else can interpret it in an entirely different way.
Art is active. It’s a give and take; a gift that you both give and receive in some ways.
It’s what gives it life – and I think that is the true meaning of art.