Description

The inspiration for this print is Idris Davies’ poem Gwalia Deserta IX. (Gwalia Deserta translates as Wasteland Wales). Idris Davies was an ex-miner who became a teacher and poet and the Gwalia Deserta cycle of poems reflects his view of 1930’s Wales and the effect of her heavy industries on the landscape and population.

I was struck by the starkness of the imagery in this poem. Particularly the impression the writer creates of the exploitation of a land and its peoples, a self-serving system providing its own ‘fuel’. The print is intended to be read, from the top down, alongside the poem.