Spells: A Novel Within Photographs

Twenty years ago, while working as a security guard in an art museum, Peter Rock staved off the job's inherent boredom and loneliness by trying to make up a story for each photograph, painting and object in the museum. A few years ago, reminded of the pleasures and play that he felt in danger of forgetting, he began to envision a similar project.

As he explains, "First, I found photographers whose work I was drawn to, and contacted them with a very hypothetical and tentative description of w...