Petrified in Storyland: Exploring the connections between legends, heritage and landscape in Wales through photography

Made whilst artist in residence at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, University of Wales, ‘Petrified in Storyland’ explores the relationship between the Welsh mythology, cultural identity and the visual residues found the landscape. Local people took me to sites of folkstory, some which have barely changed in a thousand years and others that are modern inventions of heritage. They chose sites with which they felt particular connection that were of personal resonance. There is a romanticised quality to their relationships with the landscape alongside reference to contemporary encounters with real land, with all the prosaic encumbrances of ownership, exploitation and politics. This process considers the way myth and story are being memorialised and questions the cultural significance they have today.

After the exploration of Welsh storytelling, folkloric locations and their significance to local residents, the second stage of the work is a more impressionist and fictional series. These images are inspired by the actions of female characters in the stories as well as themes discovered such as migration, power, conflict, a fascination with a macabre, enchanted world and how national identity is defined by these ‘legends and landscapes’, reminding us of the strength of stories.