Another story about art and art monsters using Covid to set the story in a place that no one can get out of. Here it is a large country house set in the middle of rural America with food deliveries regularly ordered but for one delivery, the driver is someone two of the people in the house used to know. He was at art college with them. Alice and Rob are spending their lockdown time at the house in the hope that Rob produces some art. He needs to because he owes Marshal, also in the house, work.

Quite a lot of the book is set in the past, detailing the story of Rob and Alice and the art scene in the 90s. Drugs, collectives, squatting and making art all feature in a mixed-up, dream-like state where differences start to emerge about art. Is it about struggling to create and constantly searching, Jay, or is it playing to the tastes of the rich, those who buy, Rob. And what happens to each of these people as life moves on.

Rob takes Jay’s girlfriend, marries her and makes and wastes a lot of money. Constantly unhappy, living the high life and eventually ruined by those who made him wealthy. Jay, constantly searching, has some success but then takes off into the ether becoming an illegal in America working low paid jobs and living in his car. Who is the successful one? Is this what art does to people; makes them sell out or drop out?

The other question that the book addresses is who does the art belong to. The artist under whose umbrella you work or does it remain with the person who actually creates it. Again, it’s a messy world and of course, wherever the biggest art monster lurks, that is where the art belongs.

The bringing together of the art world, covid lockdowns and money is an interesting one. The art and writing about it really works but I am less sure about the way the story is concluded involving a gun and a deranged artist. I liked it enough to read the other two of his books, also both with colour in the title – White Tears and Red Pill.