Single occupancy boats such as canoes, coracles and kayaks – often a similar shape to a human body and designed to carry one – have become, for me, a compelling metaphor for human experience: Our bodies being like vessels to contain us (our experiences and consciousness) and in which we navigate the ocean of the world.
Boats also represent one of the most crucial technologies to human history, from our first journey out from the cradle of our species on boats have spread story, culture and people across the world. Boats are so central a part of the story of us, that they feature heavily in global proto-narratives making their way into the mythology of cultures all over the world.
Through the use of boats in my work I aim to excavate and expand on the metaphorical implications of single occupancy vessels and engage with the technologies of ancient boat building in a conscious attempt to connect to, and somehow connect with the past.
Jim Lockey 