2015: Bent Meridian
Series: The Unlikely Vessels
Boats and boat forms have been a recurring theme in my artwork for several years. For me, they represent many of the themes that led to the Bent Meridians exhibition. They are a means of travel, whether it’s to pursue or to escape, granting the freedom to explore and the way to return home. Boats are sleek and elegant as they are simultaneously gritty and practical. They are both a means to an end and a celebration of the journey itself.
As a sculptor, I find that the form itself is an endlessly engaging one. I begin with one or two control points — setting lines to be straight or curved, convex or concave — and carve the form to connect these lines into a harmonious whole. The shapes themselves often draw inspiration from outside references such as fish (Trevally and Barracuda), ships from real life (like the full-sized Egyptian Barque found in an excavated tomb), or simply as abstract forms (Little Moon).
Most of all, they represent an outlook that accepts the uncertainty of life and that aims to adapt rather than conquer. When we have no solid ground beneath our feet, when we are most likely to panic or despair, is in fact the time for intuition, improvisation, and the pursuit of unlikely dreams. The ocean is huge, but all we need is a little boat and the pluck to make our own way.
Left to right:
Nile Barque — 53" x 32" x 13" sold
Barracuda II — 51" x 25" x 11", $400
Java — 55" x 32" x 13", $500
Little Moon — 54" x 22" x 13" sold
Trevally — 51" x 21" x 12", $400 [not shown]