Kathleen Herbert, Grande Spagna

Accompanied by a crew of 28 and a cargo of 5000 cars, Kathleen Herbert gained a rare insight into the realities of contemporary seafaring. The artist combined her observations on the voyage with research at the Seafarers’ Mission at Royal Portbury Docks in Avonmouth. The resulting work described the solitude, monotony and sense of disorientation for seafarers often far away from home

Herbert’s work draws on the conventions of documentary and film to build a series of narratives. Herbert creates a sense of intrigue, never quite exposing the full extent of the situation or story which she is telling.