Wege und Umwege mit Friedrich Dürrenmatt

As an aspiring student, Friedrich Dürrenmatt wrote to his father in 1941: "It's not about deciding whether I will become a practicing artist or not, because that is not a decision, but something one does out of necessity. [...] The problem lies quite differently for me. Should I paint or write? I feel compelled to do both." Torn between painting and literature, Dürrenmatt chose the profession of a writer, but he always drew and painted throughout his life. Apart from some caricatures and book illustrations, his visual work remained largely unknown for a long time, also because he never sold any paintings and practically never exhibited. Nevertheless, he considered literature and visual art as equal parts of his creative output. For him, the images were, as he himself said, the experimental fields of his writing. "Paths and Detours with Friedrich Dürrenmatt" is published on the occasion of his 100th birthday. This edition allows for the first time a comprehensive look at the work of the virtuoso and expressive artist, placing Dürrenmatt's visual and literary works in an exciting dialogue.