Dawson technician’s cargo ship photos exhibited at photography festival in China

Chris shared his experiences with the Communications Office: “The 2015 trip was across the Pacific from Vancouver to Shanghai on the container ship Hanjin Geneva. The trip was part of Twenty-Three Days at Sea: A Travelling Artists Residency through Access Gallery, Vancouver. During the trip I was considered ‘in-residence’. The trip did take exactly 23 days and it was an incredible experience. 

“Despite its massive size, the ship operates with approximately 23-25 crew, many of whom work in the engine room. I spent a lot of time walking on deck and I would often go hours without seeing another person. I also spent a lot of time on the bridge chatting with whoever was on watch. I especially loved being there at night when the entire bridge was kept in darkness to preserve night vision. 

“I was mesmerized by the ocean which was in a constant state of flux. Sometimes the water appeared purple on one side of the ship and yellow on the other side. Then the colours would switch or change entirely. At one point we went 19 days without seeing land and we only saw a handful of other ships. Birds, dolphins, porpoises and whales were constant. 

“The second trip, in 2018, was across the Atlantic from Antwerp to Halifax on the ConRo ship Atlantic Sky and lasted seven-eight days. I am from Halifax and arriving in the Port of Halifax by ship was really a spectacular experience. I have been watching the ships in the harbour since I was a young child so to arrive on one was something very special.

“This was a research trip ahead of the task-based project ‘A. Conveyor’ that later saw me travel to the infamous ship-breaking beaches of Alang, India to follow a Halifax-connected ship called ‘Atlantic Conveyor’ through the shipbreaking process.

“This work was later exhibited at the New Gallery, Calgary and at Centre Skol here in Montreal.  The images I showed in Pingyao were made at sea and in the ports of Tokyo, Busan, Gwangyang, Ningbo, Shanghai, Antwerp, Liverpool and Halifax.”

Chris’ upcoming project, ‘Squarebody Resolute’ will be shown at an exhibition at the artist-run-centre Verticale in Laval.  Chris’ work can be viewed at: www.chrisboyne.com