Imaging the Imagination

The theme of this book is the inter-relationship between visual and written language in the art of Wales, and the creative process which artists and writers use to mediate their experiences and find a language to express their vision. With the related exhibition META, which travelled to venues in Wales and Lithuania between 2001 and 2004, this collection of studies forms part of a wider, collaborative project between artists and writers, initiated by Christine Kinsey in 1999. The purpose is to open a debate about the relevance of painting to the developing culture of Wales and to explore the relationship between the word and image in the work of artists who are primarily painters but whose work is informed by written as well as visual language. Although this phenomenon is, of course, attested in other cultures, it is in Wales that it seems particularly developed and significant. The contributors, who include practising artists as well as art historians and critics, employ a variety of approaches in their essays, which include case studies of David Jones, Gwen John, Ceri Richards, Brenda Chamberlain and Ernest Zobole, together with an historical overview and a survey of contemporary artists. The essays not only demonstrate the response of these artists to Wales and its culture but also set them firmly in the wider, European context.Lloyd-Morgan, Ceridwen is the author of 'Imaging the Imagination', published 2005 under ISBN 9781843234333 and ISBN 1843234335.