Ancient Whispers

“The decline and eventual disappearance of the language can be compared to the drying up of a lake.”

-Prof.Emeritus E.G. Bowen & Prof.H. Carter, ‘Preliminary Observations on the Distribution of the Welsh Language at the 1971 Census’ The Geographical Journal, October 1974.

The Welsh language has a long and turbulent history, yet despite all odds, quietly it continues to thrive. These pockets are often remote, and day-to-day exchange via the native tongue is rare in many urban civilizations.

Living in Wales for three years, I became fascinated by the existence of Welsh and the lack of Welsh speakers I had encountered. A language gives status, a point of identity and heritage, a sense of ownership and authority stem also from the root of language, which of course is also true of Welsh. The absence I experienced of this spoken language only enhanced its precious and mystical quality.

Having studied Collins Spurrell Welsh Dictionary,1960’s edition, I realised that in the few decades that have past the letter ‘J’ has been eliminated and letters ‘dd’ and ‘ng’ have been added to the language. This was a striking change in little time.

I began to understand that this language has ebbed and flowed through decades and centuries gaining and loosing power over time. Water is the perfect metaphor to describe the history of this language. So I set out on a journey exploring  further, visiting far reaching pockets of Wales and researching  the changing relationship with the Welsh Language. I found that there were many areas of Welsh speaking communities in the North, with Caernarfon 90% Welsh speaking and many communities embedded within the dramatic landscape.

I used dictionary sequences in slide form to project onto waterfalls, rivers and streams, working at dawn and dusk in the heart of the country. I wanted to capture the precious and fragile power of the Welsh language. These magnificent waterways were my subject as they thunder, trickle and dry with each season, but they always return. In my eyes this language remains locked within the landscape, kept safe and protected.