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INTRODUCTION
TeaimofArtistopresentnottheoutwardappearanceofthings,
buttheirinnersignifcance;forthis,nottheexternalmannerand
detail,constitutestruereality.
Aristotle
Tatarthascontinuedtofascinatehumanbeingssincetheydevelopedthe
facultieswhichenabledthemtopractiseitisafundamentalfactoflife.Ar-
gumentsaboutart)sroleandontologicalstatushavereverberatedthroughout
thecenturies,fromPlato)stheoryofmimesistorecentclaimsaboutart)sroots
inthemechanismsofDarwinianevolution.Whateverhypothesisonechoo-
sestofollowinone)sunderstandingofart,itisneververyfarfromthesense
ofart)sexpressivepotential,whichagainandagainrevealsitspowersofemo-
tionalandintellectualappeal.
Teartofliteratureisfortunateinthatitsmediumallowsittoformre-
lationshipswithotherartsrelativelyeasily:aferall,noartexistsoutsideof
language,inwhichitisdiscussedandcommentedupon.Itisthusonlynat-
uraltoseewritersinterpretingandrespondingtoworksofart,analysingthe
creativeprocess,reflectingontheroleandstatusoftheartist,oraskingques-
tionsaboutart)scomplextiestoourso-calledureality.”Inthisvolume,twelve
authorstakeuptheissueofuartinliterature,”focusingonselectedaspectsof
thepresenceofartinliteraryworks.Teselectionisobviouslynowherenear
acomprehensivesurvey:toattemptanythingofthesortwouldrequirean
entirelydiferentscopeandmethodology.Wehope,however,tosuggestsome
patternsinidentifyingthewaysinwhichvisualartshavemadeanimpacton
literarytexts.
Tevolumefocusesonmodernandpost-modernliteratureandreaches
beyondthefrontiersofEnglish-speakingcountries.Teturnofthe19thand
20thcenturiessawarangeofturningpointsinallartisticactivity,andformal
experimentation-socharacteristicofthemodernistperiod-resultedinre-
visionsandadjustmentsintheperceptionofworksofart,ultimatelyushering
inourcurrentpostmodernage,withitspassionforeclecticismandbound-
ary-crossing.Literaturebegantomakeapointofdeliberatelyenteringinto