All the designs you see here have been created programatically using various generative and artificial intelligence techniques. As such they offer a hyper-contemporary remixing and repurposing of traditional Welsh culture. This move is explicitly understood to be problematic as I am interested in the local (and wider) debates, around appropriation, tradition, inclusion / exclusion, simulacra, authenticity (and its absence) and the affective, extractive tendencies of digital media. In a moment of Welsh cultural synchronicity, as these images were being rendered I found myself reading [WELSH PLURAL] Essays on the Future of Wales edited by Darren Chetty, Grug Muse, Hanan Issa and Iestyn Tyne. To quote from the book's introduction:
“Mindful of Raymond Wiliams’ words that “[w]hen we hear the word culture, some of us reach for our fancy dress […] do we opt for the usual, often sterotypical signifiers of Welshness […] or do we eschew all signifiers and run the risk [of not reaching an audience?]” (Chetty et al: 3)
Chetty, Muse, Issa and Tyne Eds. (2022) [WELSH PLURAL] Essays on the Future of Wales. Repeater books
The writers continue by discussing their approach which sought, if not to resolve this dilemma, then at least to articulate and share the thoughts and experiences of a broad range of contemporary Welsh practitioners in relation to imagining and proposing a shared, liveable future. The book's cover, designed by Rebecca Wright is based upon the Wrexham Tailor's Quilt, which was made over a decade (1842-52) from over 4,000 separate pieces of woollen cloth - thought to be off-cuts of military uniform. The Wrexham Quilt also recently inspired a suit and coat in Alexander McQueen's 2020 Autumn / Winter Collection. BBC Wales story told from the perspective of the tailor's family Sarah Burton, who designed the show for McQueen says:
“”The collection is a love letter to women and to families, colleagues and friends,” she said. “We went to Wales and were inspired by the warmth of its artistic and poetic heritage, by its folklore and the soul of its craft.”
https://www.papermag.com/alexander-mcqueen-wrexham-tailors-quilt-2647780784.html?rebelltitem=7#rebelltitem7
The problematic aspects of the Wrexham Tailor's Quilt are vital issues for us to grapple with. Wales has, in various places, at various times, been the victim of, willing participant in, and beneficiary of English military power. Our intertwined histories, and therefore our collective futures, are complex. Nuanced and informed debate and reflection is something I am striving for. This project is intended to enable me, and others, to engage with Welsh culture as informed by the inclusive scope of contemporary Welshness outlined in Welsh (Plural).
In the words of the book's editors:
“Welsh (Plural) is our tailor’s quilt of stories, reimagining the Wales we live and see; it has recurring motifs and tributes to different parts of our collective history as people of Wales and doesn’t shy away from the gnarly and upsetting episodes within it. As James Williams hopes, we too hope it is something that many will be able to appreciate and identify with; and one day, perhaps it too will be remixed, reimagined and repurposed”
If you've made it this far, I'd also recommend, as an critical compliment to Welsh (Plural) THE WELSH WAY: ESSAYS ON NEOLIBERALISM AND DEVOLUTION
“This book argues for a new Welsh Way, one that is truly radical and transformational. A call for a political engagement that will create real opportunity for change.”
Neoliberalism has firmly taken hold in Wales. The ‘clear red water’ is darkening. The wounds of poverty, inequality, and disengagement, far from being healed, have worsened. Child poverty has reached epidemic levels: the worst in the UK. Educational attainment remains stubbornly low, particularly in deprived communities. Prison population rates are among the highest in Europe. Unemployment remains stubbornly high. House prices are rising, with the private rented sector lining the pockets of an ever-increasing number of private landlords. Minority groups are consistently marginalised. All this is not to mention the devastatingly disproportionate impact of the coronavirus pandemic on working class communities”
https://www.parthianbooks.com/products/the-welsh-way-essays-on-neoliberalism-and-devolution