Synopsis "The Arches (in English)"
Twenty-five surreal collages by John Digby, set in an ornate arch from the Alhambra, suggest a multiplicity of narratives and provide provocative starting points for poet Tony Curtis. Giraffes in slings, a toppling Statue of Liberty, woolly mammoths, an enthroned bull, a monster pear and giant apple, flying fishes, a crazed Noah - all are among the many intriguing images to which the poet has responded in The Arches. Like the collages, his poems may ask as many questions as they answer; but the combination of verse and visual is, like many forms of art, a lie which enables its creator to tell the truth. Certainly the works in this book challenge artist, poet and reader alike about the nature of creativity and the relationship between image, thought and reality. The Arches is available with interactive CD-ROM (Paperback/19.95) with which you can view John Digby's original collages on computer, and create your own images from the templates and clips provided. Listen to the author reading his poems, and write your own response to the words, images and specially commissioned score. Tony Curtis is Professor of Poetry at the University of Glamorgan where he directs an MPhil in Writing. He has published 26 books, including nine poetry collections, most recently Heaven's Gate (2001). A selection of his poetry has recently been translated and published in Armenia. He is also the editor of several anthologies including After the First Death, a volume of war writing (2007). John Digby was born in London, and has worked for many years in the United States. A poet and artist, he specialises in pure paper collages.
