The patterns found on the late medieval ceramic tiles at St David’s Cathedral were the starting point for a series of new works by artist Martin Crampin. Sections of an initial piece of work was exhibited in local churches as part of the annual ‘Art on the Faith Trail’ event and subsequently brought together in an exhibition at the cathedral with additional images based on the tiles.
This talk will examine the pattern and imagery of the tiles, which were made in around 1500, and consider their rearrangement in the nineteenth century and the copies made for the restored interior. Just as the Gothic Revival was caught between an authenticity to medieval form and its reinvention, this new work also occupies a creative tension between reproduction and abstraction, while drawing attention to aspects of late medieval decorative arts that have often been overlooked.
Martin Crampin has worked on a series of research projects researching different aspects of the visual culture of Wales while based at the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies in Aberystwyth. His primary interests have been aspects of ecclesiastical art and medievalism, and this also forms the primary focus of his artistic practice, which is inspired by the patterns and images found in medieval decorative arts. He also works as a designer and photographer, specialising in the production of books and guides to stained glass.
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Medieval Art Research 