Ali Smith’s novel Artful is out on bookshelves, and the interesting cover choice would notably catch the eye of those familiar with famous Greek actress Aliki Vougiouklaki.
Artful is narrated by a character who is haunted—literally—by a former lover, the writer of a series of lectures about art and literature. The book is about the things art can do, the things art is full of, and the quicksilver nature of all artfulness. It glances off artists and writers from Michelangelo through Dickens, then all the way past postmodernity, exploring every form, from ancient cave painting to 1960s cinema musicals. It opens up new, inventive, elastic insights—on the relation of aesthetic form to the human mind, the ways we build our minds from stories, the bridges art builds between us.
Vougiouklaki’s movies play a small but important part of the story. Considered one of the most successful actresses in Greek cinema, she appeared in 42 movies, mostly musicals. Her biggest film was “Ipolochagos Natassa.” She passed away in 1996; her funeral in Athens was attended by thousands of fans.
Artful is in bookstores now, and will be available as an eBook Jan. 24.
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