GAIA in Extremis by Timothy Neat.
Born in 1943, the author was brought up in North Cornwall. He is a writer, artist, filmmaker and teacher who resided in Scotland for some 50 year but has returned home and now lives in Penzance After studying Fine Art at the University of Leeds, Neat established himself as a groundbreaking documentaryfilmmaker—exploring Scotland’s literary and folk traditions through works such as Hallaig (1984) and The Tree ofLiberty (1986). Collaborations with Hamish Henderson and John Berger led to exciting cultural developments and award-winning films, including Play Me Something (1989) which won the Premio Europa in Barcelona. A prolific author, Neat’s writings include the acclaimed two volume biography of Hamish Henderson and significant works on Highland tradition: including The SummerWalkers, The Voice of the Bard and The Horseman’s Word.His art historical study Part Seen, Part Imagined (1994) offered seminal new interpretations of the art of CharlesRennie Mackintosh’s and Margaret Macdonald.
GAIA in Extremis presents Timothy Neat’s recentwork on paper and shows him, at the age of 81, still addressing the great issues of the day with inimitable energy. In this very handsome book, emmaculately designed by Nick Hapley, Denis Brotto, John Berger and George Gunn place his work in its Scottish, European and Cornish context. Indeed, their insightful thought has helped him caste his bread upon the waters of a planet much in need of a new ascetic aesthetic—that can be shared by Onen hag Oll (One and All) and ensure a continuum.