Polly White - ‘As Dusk Crawls’
Titled ‘As Dusk Crawls,’ this ongoing series explores the witch trials of the 17th century in Wales, or rather their absence. Unlike much of Europe and parts of America at the time, Wales experienced no widespread witch hunts or mass executions. The artist seeks to examine this unique historical phenomenon through these images.
Influenced by the guilty verdicts of eight Welsh witches, only one of whom was sentenced to death, the work challenges Arcadian ideals of landscape. It creates a discourse between the beauty of nature and the darker undertones of folklore.
The artist aims to capture this paradox, constructing a narrative that weaves together the allure of the pastoral with a foreboding sense of the ‘other’ lurking within the environment.