Trevor Weekes
Voyager
1 September - 3 October
View exhibition catalogue
TREVOR WEEKES is no quiet observer when it comes to nature. Led by an enduring interest with birds and animals, his practice is one of active enquiry. Steering clear of any cool detached scientific sentiment, he invites the viewer into his imaginative wanderings that blur the real with the uncanny or symbolic. Voyager takes flight into the fabled and mythical stories of the Swallow. Intrinsically entwined with man's oceanic odysseys, for WEEKES, the swallow, of all the birds in the world, has come to symbolize more meaning than any other.
Navigating the age-old sailors tales of the Swallow in oceanic travels, WEEKES showcases the Swallow in its leading role. For those out to sea Swallows were seen as a good omen; tattooed on arms, symbols of a long journey's end, or left responsible to carry a drowned one's soul to heaven. Across cultures the Swallow embodies a positive sign, universal for freedom and hope, as well as love, care and affection towards family and friends. Situated within its cultural history, the Swallow is placed as a beacon of hope as it guides an anonymous vessel on a journey to safety. Adding to the myths of this cultural symbol, WEEKES engages in a dialogue with nature and its ongoing significance in man's cultural narratives.