Walking From the Modern to Liverpool.

On August 1st this year I will begin my first art pilgrimage from the Tate Modern to the Tate Liverpool. The journey will see me walk through Oxford, Stratford Upon Avon, Coventry, Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool.

Using photography and poetry will form the foundation for transcribing the experience of this journey. The work will become a document of English life from the eyes of a walking traveller.

Having taking inspiration from Jack Kerouac’s novel, Lonesome Traveller, Robert Frank’s iconic book The Americans and Daido Moriyama’s On the Road, I too feel an urge to explore the depths of place and society within my own country by way of the odyssey.

The two Tate’s form the spearheads of this pilgrimage. They represent an iconic image of art in England, and globally. Also, The Tate Modern has taken on a semi-religious importance in my own life, visiting its collections weekly, in search of inspiration. Therefore this expedition takes on significance in its quest for self-discovery. It is a journey to push my own limits, a test of my will and skill as an artist.

Having lived in London, and travelled little of England, I feel distanced from the rest of the country. London feels disconnected from other major cities in England, and it is my intention to use this journey to reconnect England with the trace of my journey.

Once the walk is completed I hope the work created will come together in a final compendium. I do not want to reduce myself to conventional modes of production, such as prints and writing, and as I push myself physically and emotionally during the journey I intend to apply similar determinations in the production of the work, extending my methods into sound and video. The aim is to have a body of work reflective of the grandeur of the endeavor of this exploration of the country.