With or Without Angels

An ageing artist embarks on one final artwork, battling to complete it while his past and present blur. Through the creative process, he discovers what matters most and what he will leave behind. This novel responds to Alan Smith's final artwork, "The New World," and explores the creative process and timeless love story in a new way.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 112 pages
Publication date: 16 February 2023
Publisher: Fairlight Books

The thought in my head is still in its infancy, lacking any concrete shape or form. However, it possesses a clear direction, like a series of interconnected images that lead one into another. An elderly artist, grappling with the inevitability of his own mortality, embarks on a final artistic endeavor. As he toils tirelessly to bring this project to fruition, collaborating with an enigmatic young photographer, he witnesses the blurred lines between his past and present. Through the act of creation and the memories it unearths, the artist gains a profound understanding of what truly matters and what he will leave behind when his time comes. This hybrid and innovative short novel, written in a captivating and dreamlike prose, serves as a response to Alan Smith's renowned final artwork, "The New World." This artwork, in turn, is a reinterpretation of an eighteenth-century fresco by Giandomenico Tiepolo, titled "Il Mondo Nuovo." Bruton skillfully weaves a narrative around these artworks, delving into both a profound exploration of the creative process and a timeless love story presented in a fresh and unique manner.

Weight: 154g
Dimension: 197 x 130 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781914148361