During The Tall Ships Races in 2011, Imi Maufe was selected to be artist in residence on-board The Swan, a Shetland herring boat from 1900. The races started in Waterford, Ireland and arrived at Halmstad, Sweden five weeks later, calling at Greenock, Lerwick, and Stavanger, Norway. The on-board residency was followed by one month on land at both Taigh Chearsabhagh in the Outer Hebrides and Shetland Arts, to develop work for a touring exhibition. These prints document the voyage through images and four-word statements and were created for that exhibition. Imi explains,
“This residency turned into an unexpected adventure, not just fulfilling artistic duties, but also learning to sail, night watches, and cooking at an angle. It was about sharing the boat with 8 teenagers and 5 crew who changed for each leg of the voyage. The Tall Ships Races are also about the celebrations in each of the host harbours, attracting over 2 million visitors in total and crew parades, music festivals captains’ dinners, food and craft stalls, crew changeovers and prize givings. There was never a dull moment.”
LK243 Undersail was made possible with funding from Creative Scotland, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and Scotland’s Islands.
