SIOBHAN FLEMING

Peter Lawless left Kilrush Marina, Co. Clare, on 21st August 2021 to sail solo, non-stop, unassisted around the world from Ireland and back to Ireland via the five great capes of the Southern Ocean. An experienced yacht master, Peter is also skilled in Celestial Navigation - this means that he planned to use a sextant and paper charts as his primary navigation tools to plot his course on the route. 

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I was inspired by Peter's story and worked with him and his team on a concept to capture the amazing adventure through art. As "artist not in residence" on his journey, I planned to create paintings in response to Peter's experiences, shared with us throughout via satellite phone and internet. On Peter's return, we would hold an exhibition of this work, to allow us to reflect on and honour his achievement. 

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The first piece was created before Peter's departure, and in response to the anticipation of this great adventure. In acrylic and mixed media, it reflects Peter’s journey into the unknown and the historic route and navigation methods.  It also responds to the question Peter seems to be asked in every interview - why is he going? Many have attempted to sail solo nonstop around the world. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was the first to do so, in 1968. For this work, I based my painting on the words of Bernard Moitessier, below.  

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“A sailor's geography is not always that of the cartographer,

for whom a cape is a cape, with a latitude and longitude.

For the sailor, a great cape is both a very simple and an extremely complicated

whole of rocks, currents, breaking seas and huge waves,

fair winds and gales, joys and fears, fatigue, dreams,

painful hands, empty stomachs, wonderful moments, and suffering at times.

A great cape, for us, can't be expressed in longitude and latitude alone.

A great cape has a soul, with very soft, very violent shadows and colours.

A soul as smooth as a child's, as hard as a criminal's.

And that is why we go.”

From 'The Long Way', by Bernard Moitessier

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