As Deryn Rees-Jones writes in her foreword, one of the most striking elements of Paula Rego's art is her ability to hint at implied narratives, to dramatise the 'pause between feeling and action, between knowing and not knowing'. Into this pause, Owen Lowery inserts his own poetic responses to Rego's works. Drawing on the often disturbing themes of Rego's works - power, violence, the body at its most vulnerable - Lowery creates poems that both interpret the visual and move away from it into new narratives. Rego Retold is a fascinating exploration of the interplay of word and image; it is also a poet's personal tribute to one of the most significant artists of our time.
Lowery was born in 1968. Formerly a British Judo champion, he suffered a spinal injury while competing and is now a tetraplegic. He has a Master's Degree in Creative Writing from The University of Bolton. Owen's first collection, Otherwise Unchanged, was published in 2012. Paula Rego was born in Lisbon and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art. Her art is internationally renowned for its dark and sinister subject matters. In 2010, Rego was made a Dame of the British Empire.
In the Garden 12-13, Girl Lifting Up her Skirt to a Dog 14-15, Prey 16-17, Looking Back 18-19, Snare 20-21, Departure 22-23, The Family 24-25, Joseph's Dream 26-27, Time - Past and Present 28-29, The First Mass in Brazil 30-31, Sleeper 32-33, Moth 34-35, Bride 36-37, Target 38-39, Sit 30-41, Snow White with her Stepmother 42-43, Snow White on the Prince's Horse 44-45, Two Women Being Stoned 46-47, Love 48-49, Love II, The Dybbuk 50-51, Geppetto Washing Pinocchio 52-53, The Company of Women 54-55, The Ambassador of Jesus 56-57, Looking Out 58-59, Perch 60-61, The Coop 62-63, Angel 64-65, After 'Marriage a la Mode' by Hogarth Part I: The Betrothal 66-67, Part II: Lessons 68-69, Part III: The Shipwreck 70-71, Pieta 72-73, Assumption 74-75, Adoration 76-77, Lamentation 78-79, Come to Me 80-81, Mr Rochester 82-83, Schoolroom 84-85, La Ligue des Rats 86-87, Getting Ready for the Ball 88-89, Biting 90-91, Snow White Swallows the Poisoned Apple 92-93, Olga 94-95, Feeding 96-97, Fame 98-99, Prince Pig and his First Bride 100-101, The Psychiatrist 102-103, Dame with the Goat's Foot (I) 104-105, At the Table 106-107, The Last Feed 108-109, Flayed 110-111, Do You Remember an Inn, Miranda? 112-113, Playground 114-115, Taking Liberties: Retelling Rego Owen Lowery 117, Image Credits 123, Acknowledgements 127
The Saison Poetry Library at the Southbank Centre held an exhibition of paintings and poems from the book from 17th March - 3rd May 2015
