An illustrated examination of art in Wales from the perspective of one of the leading organisations in the field, Cywaith Cymru.Artworks Wales (formerly the Welsh Sculpture Trust), including essays, illustrations and case studies by artists and practitioners such as Peter Lord, Hugh Adams and Shelagh Hourahane.

Astudiaeth ddarluniadol o gelf yng Nghymru o safbwynt un o'r sefydliadau mwyaf amlwg yn y maes, Cywaith Cymru.Artworks Wales (Ymddiriedolaeth Gerflunwaith Cymru gynt), yn cynnwys traethodau, darluniau ac astudiaethau achos gan artistiaid ac ymarferwyr megis Peter Lord, Hugh Adams a Shelagh Hourahane.

If for you, like me, the notion of public art is limited to town and city centre statues and murals, then Iwan Bala’s Groundbreaking will provide a much needed education into the exciting breadth of public art commissioned and executed by artists in Wales. Marking twenty-five years of Cywaith Cymru, Artwork Wales, this book is a collection of essays that provide both an overview of public art making in its many (often surprising and innovative) forms, and a discussion of how the relationship between art and the environment has changed since the organisation was set up.

Undoubtedly Cywaith Cymru has been a major force with the arts in Wales over the last quarter of a century. Set up as a grass roots organisation by and for artists, it still holds a unique position among publicly funded art bodies by virtue of its artist-led status. Encouraging the exploration of Wales’s historic and linguistic heritage and contextualising this in sense of place, the organisation has not only instigated some groundbreaking art, but has challenged and developed theory and practice of public art making in the country. Public art in Wales is not just statues and murals.

The essays in this substantial book include work by Tamara Krikorian, director of Cywaith Cymru until 2005, who presents a history of the public art making supported by the organisation since 1981; Shelagh Hourahane, a co-founder, who offers further insight by revisiting the sites of works; and Hugh Adams, Cywaith Cymru’s current chair, who looks back and forth in an attempt to answer the question of what constitutes public art.

This, then, is a book charting the history of a unique organisation, but more than that, it offers insight into current and developing practice in the field of public art making and would be of interest to anyone – artists, audiences or policy makers – who would like to explore and expand their own notions of public art.

Michael Nobbs

It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment 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 ganiatâd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru.