Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence Book

'Pain and beauty, our constant bedfellows.'

I have a huge soft spot for art that incorporates the audience in the work, or where the act of viewing becomes part of the overall performance. Nick Bantock's Griffin and Sabine is a stunning and provocative multimedia literary performance with an epistolary narrative enhanced through Bantock's engaging artwork. Artist Giffin receives a postcard in the mail one day from a woman he has never met, telling him details of his art nobody should be able to know. Thus sets off 'an extraordinary correspondence' between him and Sabine, a mysterious woman who is able to witness in her mind's eye his artwork as he paints it thousands of miles away. The book itself is quite literally just the letters between the pair, sometimes the post cards upon which they write or envelopes the reader gets to open, unfold and read in their hands as the characters themselves would do. While this initial book is short, it is only the first chapter in an epic narrative between the two characters that unfolds with plenty of intrigue and mystery that the artistic elements are a welcome bonus and not a gimmick without which the story would fall flat. While the love story does pose a few problematic issues, this is a magical work and such a delight to flip through and enjoy.



Nick Bantock is a British artist who certainly has a gift for finding inventive uses for his art. Written into the narrative is that Griffin creates postcards and Sabine is an artist for postage stamps, which allows open opportunity to show his unique art in a way to visually adorn the story. He's used two distinct artistic styles and the images are quickly identifiable to their corresponding character, Griffin often using a fairly surrealist technique such as mixing two different stamps to create a composite image or haunting, dreamlike paintings whereas Sabine's has a bit of a flair similar to Peter Sís. As the book is framed as found documents, the tactile aspects of rummaging through envelopes and postcards leans into the voyeuristic nature that is also thematic to the story. It draws you in as both reader and participant, fully immersed in the magical world Bantock has created.

There have been other similar works--S., conceived by director J.J. Abrams and written by Doug Dorst immediately comes to mind--but what makes this work is the simplicity rather than the elaborate conceits of S. There is nothing outside what is written in the letters, which, especially as they turn from mysteriously rummaging around to learn about each other and blossom into love letters and emotional confessions, become more like poetry than anything else. Another clever aspect that keeps you drawn into the world is that Bantock uses a different handwriting for each (and often a typewriter for Griffin) and adds little flourishes such as misspellings, crossed out words and other minor flaws individually characteristic of each writer. It is the small details that really make this work and the book--and ultimately the full collection of books--amalgamates to be greater than the sum of its parts. Admittedly, taken individually or for each element it is just okay, but the overall performance is impressive.


Initially, Griffin takes their correspondence to be either a hoax or some threat, though he quickly eases up and believes in the magic professed by Sabine. He quickly opens up about intimate details in his life and is the first to--rather quickly--begin to write that he loves the other. There are strong themes of loneliness and yearning to be understood, which vibes well with them each being solitary artists, but also a theme of mental health. He constantly fears Sabine might just be his imagination and mental illness playing with his one heart, but then also fears the connection forming between them when he accepts that she may be real. As learned in the final responses before the end of this first act, we see Griffin as sad, tormented but also his longing for love not unlike a dog chasing a car where, were they to catch it, wouldn't know what to do with it.

Which is, unfortunately, where there are some problematic issues to be addressed. The entirety of this story is a woman of color with magical abilities who's entire role is to be a comfort and understanding to the white English male suffering from self-doubt and depression. While we do learn her past in brief, much of the work is centered on his struggles with his own past. While she is the first to initiate contact, she lacks much agency beyond being a figure caring for him. Being from a small island in the Pacific and he living in London it practically screams imperialism and evokes the long history of European colonialism in the region. Unfortunately this only gets stronger in the second act. While he is fickle with his love, she is open, warm and endlessly giving, and to be honest I'm sort of done with that cliche. That said, the book is still lovely and cute, and the actual performance aspects of it are what kept me reading the entire series but these issues were never too far from my mind.

I came to this series quite by accident, really. I work at a library and was pulling our Holds for the day when I grabbed the book directly next to these and noticed the spines. In keeping with the 'found art' aspect of the performance, it was like I'd just stumbled upon some hidden treasure. I grabbed the whole series and read them over a few short days. To be honest, I haven't returned them and am on my third and final renewal, I just enjoy flipping through them so much. These are short--the pacing feels a bit rushed, to be honest--but rewarding and a great little piece of art on its own. It's something fun to pull off your shelf and show other people for its uniqueness. The art is quite wonderful and embodies aesthetics of antiquated and found objects, travel, and mystery, a style I tend to enjoy as it is. If you are someone that ever owned a typewriter for aesthetic purposes instead of practical, this book is for you. In an era where many relationships begin online, this book seems extra relevant, with the magical touches only making it more adorable. A clever and charming little adventure, made all the better by being able to take part in the adventure yourself. It is a really unique and fun experience.

3.5/5



Follow along in the series.
Vol 2: Sabine's Notebook
and
Vol 3: The Golden Mean