mixed media sculpture
Part of a sculptural series that uses images from my earlier work ‘before the wyrm‘ as a starting point. Through this work I am trying to explore the more esoteric ideas that motivate my practice and to explore them through material and image making. I am experimenting with allowing the work to be more obtuse than my performance and live-art practice, leaving the work much more up to interpretation.
This particular image, of a church or temple on a whale’s back is inspired by the story of the voyage of St. Brendan. I like the image because it speaks to the the fragility of faith to give a foothold in chaos, delicate yet present. The solid stone structure of a church survives at the whim of the leviathan-like creature that could dive at any moment.
This theme not only speaks to religious faith, but also other ways in which we draw a sense of identity and make sense of the world. To me the image of this style of church not only speaks to religious belief but also a cultural ‘Englishness’ and the fragility of that as an identity.
Jim Lockey 