There is evidence of a sea-change in Western consciousness, which implies a fundamental rejection of the Arts of Humanism: cut off from society, from nature and the sacred. John Lane both celebrates the power and challenges the defects of this five hundred year old tradition, questioning among other matters the institution of the self-directed professional artist. Challenging and illuminating, A Snake's Tail Full of Ants looks forward to a time when creative expression is not lofty, professionalised and unapproachable but closely interwoven with the activities of daily life.