A distant ship on the horizon (the newscast)

You might remember if you’ve been following the progress of my art practice that I did a series called ‘Shipwreck’, it was back at the middle of last month (it seems like years have passed) and it contained renderings of ships mainly the Pasha Bulker that ran aground off Newcastle in 2008. 

More recently in fact last year there was the Portland Bay operated by a company called Pacific Basin (operating out of Hong Kong) which lost power at sea near Sydney. At the time I took photos of the newscasts the ship was still at sea and every day there were updates fed to viewers via the Nine channel as well as others, I don’t know I can’t remember exactly which station broadcast what it was so long ago and so many things have happened to me in the intervening months.

In fact in July I met Simon Kahn and we started the art group, so it has truly been a momentous year for me. Nevertheless I distinctly recall the ship and have therefore used it to talk about time’s passing in this new work ‘A distant ship on the horizon (the newscast)’ .

The above photo shows the necessary 4 panels laid out in the correct order. The following photos show the individual panels separately.

I’m tentatively happy with the overall effect but am welcome to ideas from other people. ‘A distant ship on the horizon (the newscast)’ of course references a popular song of my youth, in fact the song was on a concept album that all of my friends were listening to that had been put out by Pink Floyd in late 1979 titled ‘The Wall’. 

Looking back it was timely as the Berlin Wall came down a decade later but for us the idea of protest embodied in the songs had a closer relevance. The only thing I can think about now in relation to the songs is how poor the education system was (is?) in addressing our needs. The art group is a way for me to regain time (see first panel) but like looking through the smoke of a burning forest it’s hard to remember the reason why it was important to make art in the first place.

Settling on a 4-panel work like this is a new approach for me, previously these “double overlay” works have been standalones, and the reason for additional curiosity and application is the show planned for June. As I put together things to go in the show I see new opportunities for expression and this leads me to starting works. A major problem for me is insight however, as the more I struggle the harder it is to write coherently about the work, I wish someone else would come and take the job of talking about ‘A distant ship on the horizon (the newscast)’ away from me, relieve me of the burden of making sense, of promoting the work, of being a mouthpiece. The more I think about it the less I want to explain and clarify but by the same token writing has become such an intrinsic part of my life – writing a way to do art WHILE SEATED AT A DESK – that I also see no way to avoid speaking.

While seated at a desk. In a way Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ is a reaction to the study (not to be confused with the studio), or at least I currently choose to see it that way. I choose that explanation for my interest in a ship in distress at sea. What is it about ships that attracts us so strongly? Is it the idea of another shore, or places to go to gain wealth, status, or experiences? Is it the danger that draws us, that challenges our jaded complacency: here, look, this is what adventure is like. When we sit down to watch the news, or, more likely, when we overhear a story on the news as we’re preparing dinner of helping the kids with some routine task, do we empathise with the people whose traumas are laid out for our entertainment? Do we feel comfortable, and forget about the niggling insecurities that lash us? Do we wish we were somewhere else? Do we reconcile ourselves with our domestic dramas?

Whatever it is about the news it’s not going away anytime soon in fact it looks more and more every week like an institution, complete and fixed in space, a point of reference we can all orient ourselves by as we journey through life.