Twenty-five surreal collages by John Digby, set in an ornate arch from the Alhambra, suggest a multiplicity of narratives and provide provocative starting points for poet Tony Curtis.

Giraffes in slings, a toppling Statue of Liberty, woolly mammoths, an enthroned bull, a monster pear and giant apple, flying fishes, a crazed Noah - all are among the many intriguing images to which the poet has responded in The Arches. Like the collages, his poems may ask as many questions as they answer; but the combination of verse and visual is, like many forms of art, a lie which enables its creator to tell the truth.

Certainly the works in this book challenge artist, poet and reader alike about the nature of creativity and the relationship between image, thought and reality. The Arches is available with interactive CD-ROM with which you can view John Digby’s original collages, and create your own images from the templates and clips provided. Listen to the author reading his poems, and write your own response to the words, images and specially commissioned score.