An illustrated examination of contemporary art in Wales and the relationship between art, culture, society and Welsh history, comprising critical essays on various individual artists including Ivor Davies, Ernest Zobole, Neal Howells, Elfyn Lewis, Sue Williams, David Hastie and Andre Stitt. Includes 32 black-and-white illustrations and 16 colour illustrations.

Astudiaeth ddarluniadol o gelf yng Nghymru a'r gyd-berthynas rhwng celf, diwylliant, cymdeithas a hanes Cymru, yn cynnwys ysgrifau beirniadol ar waith amryw o artistiaid gan gynnwys Ivor Davies, Ernest Zobole, Neal Howells, Elfyn Lewis, Sue Williams, David Hastie ac Andre Stitt. Yn cynnwys 32 darlun du-a-gwyn a 16 darlun lliw.

I sometimes think there is more patriotism, more intelligent discussion of the Welsh identity, more radical thinking, in the visual arts than in our literature, especially that written in English where a specious internationalism has virtually replaced all concern for Wales as a national community.

Here and now is an exciting time in Welsh art. Wales has made its first appearance at the Venice Biennale, the Artes Mundi Prize is located in Wales, it looks likely there will soon be a National Gallery, smaller galleries like Oriel Davies in Newtown are being refurbished, the National Eisteddfod is becoming more professional in its attitude towards the visual and plastic arts, and artists better organised and clearer in what they want than they were a decade ago.

Iwan Bala is at the forefront of the new awareness of art in Wales, a knowledgeable, feisty, multi-talented man who has a reputation as a practitioner and as a critic well equipped to present Welsh art in a national and international context. His new book is the best introduction to the contemporary scene now available and will be read avidly by everyone with an interest in this vital sector of our cultural life.

Made up of about twenty short sections, the book deals mainly with individual artists. It highlights major names like Ernest Zobole, Ifor Davies and John Selway, as well as discussing younger artists such as Elfyn Lewis, David Garner and Brendan Burns. There are also more general sections, such as the one about Cwm Tryweryn, the drowned valley that haunts our artists today as it troubled our writers forty years ago. I particularly enjoyed the section on Bilbao, where the Guggenheim Gallery has brought about a revolution in Basque painting, and the one about landscape and communal memory. The book ends with a fascinating section entitled ‘On the Island of Gwales: A Postcolonial Parable’.

Iwan Bala writes well in his second language, an unusual accomplishment, especially for a visual artist, but is let down by his publisher: Seren seems not to employ a proof-reader. This is a pity, because this book is otherwise a readable, informative and hugely enjoyable book that is sure to prove a valuable contribution to the discussion of art in Wales.

Meic Stephens

It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgement should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council.

Gellir defnyddio’r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatad Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru.