Hew Locke's“The Wanderers” Explores Colonial Legacy At P·P·O·W

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Artist Hew Locke is presenting“The Wanderers” at P·P·O·W gallery in New York, an exhibition that delves into the enduring impact of empire and the global movement of people, capital, cargo, and ideas. The solo presentation, on view through October 24, features a suspended flotilla of miniature ships, drawn from Locke's earlier Odyssey series.

The diverse fleet includes vessels ranging from modern tankers and fishing boats to 16th-century galleons. Locke enhances these ships with intricate details such as tiny pennants, emerging foliage, and vibrant, aged paint patinas. Collectively, they symbolize the complex history of global trade and exploitation, moving towards an uncertain future while carrying the weight of their pasts.

The exhibition also showcases Locke's elaborate busts, part of his Souvenirs series. These mixed-media sculptures, crafted from Parian ware, a mid-19th-century porcelain mimicking marble, are adorned with glittering embellishments. Depicting historical figures like Queen Victoria and George Washington, they celebrate displays of power and artifice. Skeletons embedded within their costuming serve as memento mori, linking these powerful figures to the enduring legacies of their colonial endeavors.

As Locke notes, the figures appear burdened by death and“weighed down by the literal burden of history.”

Source: This Is Colossal

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