Eloise Hawser: By the Deep, By the Mark

Interesting exhibition at Somerset House by Eloise Hawser, the resident artist at the studios there, inspired by the building’s relationship with the River Thames, Joseph Bazalgette’s embankment and sewer system and the current Thames Tideway ‘Super Sewer’ project.

I wasn’t too sure how all the ideas in the show hung together, in particular how she then linked the Thames to medical instruments which measured flows around the body however there were some fascinating diagrams and objects.

I loved the digital print on the floor showing the different depths of the Thames in 1928 and a diagram looking at the wildlife that can be found in the river. I was interested in the items on the ‘Super Sewer’ as you can see lots of dredging work going on for this at the moment at various points in the river.

My favourite item was the simulation of a journey on the Thames from Wapping to Somerset House used to train tug boat masters removing the waste from the current sewer works. As I travel into work by Thames Clipper it was a hyper real version of my daily journey and I noticed it was developed in Wallingford, where I was born. It seemed to represent the flow of my life as well as the river.

Closes 22 April 2018

 

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