We generally use the term 'wild' to designate the unrestrained and foreign in contrast to the controlled and known. But is the boundary between the wild and the civilized really so clearly drawn? Where does the fascination with the wild that exists in many forms of current design such as piercings, tribal tattoos, `ethnic' and safari fashion and the animal print actually come from? Is wildness perhaps a product of civilization and thereby a projection space for fears and desires? The contributors to this volume examine and critically reflect on the extent to which art and design since the 1800s have also contributed to our understanding of the 'wild'.
