BRISTOL.- Visitors to Leigh Woods in Bristol may be surprised to encounter a flotilla of ‘abandoned’ fishing boats installed in the depths of the woodland. Withdrawn is an ambitious new installation by celebrated artist Luke Jerram commissioned by the National Trust working with their partners, the Forestry Commission. This thought-provoking installation raises discussion about climate change, extreme weather, falling fish stocks and our impact on the marine environment.
Miles from the sea, how did the boats get here? Were they left by a receding tidal surge or a changing coast line? Or is this the effect of overfishing which has caused fish stocks to collapse alongside the industry?
The result of conversations with fishermen, scientists, and specialists in marine life, Withdrawn uses art to encourage us to reflect upon the impact humanity is having on our seas. Whether this is through commercial exploitation in overfishing, or climate change and pollution, the future of our complex environment is uncertain.
A beautiful, surreal and poetic vision in the woods, all of the boats face the same way as if turned by the tide. Their names - ‘Gloria Jean’, ‘Joanne Marie’, ‘Martha’, ‘Seahorse’ and ‘Grey Gull’ – are intended to conjure up the personalities of previous owners.
Ruth Gooding, Contemporary Arts Programme Manager for the National Trust’s Trust New Art Bristol explains, We are delighted to work with Luke to create this thought-provoking installation for Leigh Woods - a beautiful environment that we care for in partnership with the Forestry Commission. We know how important this special woodland is, and we hope that visitors will enjoy discovering all the different trees, plants and wildlife as they make their way towards Withdrawn. The work is enchanting but also unsettling, a paradox which makes a clear message – our natural environment is under threat and we need to re-evaluate the balance between ourselves and our natural resources. The programme of events opens this conversation – it is both a celebration of our seas and oceans and a forum to start exploring what a more sustainable future might look like.
Jerram explains, I wanted to raise awareness around the decline of the fishing industry in the South West. For several decades, unsustainable fishing practices, have caused fish stocks of many species to collapse. With less fish in the sea, it’s often not financially viable to use a small fishing vessel to fish with. Withdrawn is also a response to the extreme weather and apocalyptic imagery we’ve seen in the media recently – the floods on the Somerset Levels last winter and further afield, Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Japan, where cars were floating down streets and houses submerged in water. The positioning of these boats in Leigh Woods presents a similarly uncanny scenario that reminds us of a possible future if we don’t address climate change now.
The installation can be discovered through a walk in Leigh Woods or visitors can attend one of the series of events taking place throughout the summer from choral performances, theatre, lectures, live film events and night-time cycle rides. The events programme will culminate on 23rd August with a talk by the University of Bristol, Cabot Institute, which will explore the challenges of environmental change.
