‘The Power of the Sea: Making Waves in British Art 1790-2014’, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol. (2014)
Notes from ‘the offing’
(the offing: the part of the ocean visible between the shore and the horizon)
In July 2013 I joined a group of artists and set sail into ‘the offing’ from Oban, Scotland on board the tall ship The Lady of Avenel for a ten-days tour around the Scottish Western Isles. The voyage was partly inspired by similar voyages made by Richard Demarco in 1980 on the tall ship The Marques.
To mark the lived experience of being at sea I made a series of drawings that traced the movement of the ship and charted the date, time and location of the voyage.
“The title of this work rings true when those who journey have their eyes not fixed to any quantifiable or measurable destination observable on even the furthest horizon, but on that which lies beyond, bringing to bear the challenge of the unknown where risk-taking is all important”
“The sea is so calm today the pen is hardly moving, I left it making a drawing whilst I took a turn at the helm. I enjoy the thrill of holding the ship against the wind and the tides - I am the ship, the ship is me”
