{"id":8352,"date":"2026-09-15T12:54:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T19:54:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=8352"},"modified":"2026-09-15T12:54:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T19:54:16","slug":"the-legacy-of-colonialism-haunts-hew-lockes-era-defying-flotilla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=8352","title":{"rendered":"The Legacy of Colonialism Haunts Hew Locke\u2019s Era-Defying Flotilla"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n

Although Hew Locke<\/a>\u2019s practice revolves around geographically bound objects\u2014superimposed drawings of Guyanese homes and his suspended flotilla<\/a> among them\u2014the artist traces the reaches of empire that extend far beyond any singular era or point on a map. How people, capital, cargo, and ideas traverse the globe has long been central to Locke\u2019s work, an investigation he continues in The Wanderers<\/em> on view at P\u00b7P\u00b7O\u00b7W<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Returning to the artist\u2019s Odyssey<\/em> series, the solo presentation hangs a fleet of miniature ships from the gallery ceiling. The flotilla features a wide array of boats, from tankers and fishing vessels to the towering galleons of the 16th century, which Locke embellishes with tiny pennants strung between the masts, foliage springing from the sides, and coats of colorful paint that appear as vibrantly aged patina. Referencing the global history of trade and exploitation, the ships all journey together toward un undetermined future, the legacy of their pasts in tow.<\/p>\n

\"a
\u201cSouvenir 28 (Victoria)\u201d (2025), mixed media on antique Parian ware, 22 1\/4 x 6 1\/8 x 5 3\/4 inches. Photo by Damian Griffiths<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Conquest and the desire for control and wealth also appear in Locke\u2019s lavish busts, which adorn Parian ware<\/a> (a porcelain that emerged in the mid-19th century as an economical dupe for marble) with a trove of glittering baubles. Titled as Souvenirs<\/em>, these mixed-media sculptures depict figures like Queen Victoria and George Washington and revel in artifice and ostentatious displays of power that soar high in the air. <\/p>\n

Several skeletons are embedded within the costuming, gesturing toward memento mor<\/em>i and implicating these powerhouses in the afterlives of their colonial projects. The figures appear haunted by death and, as Locke says, are \u201cweighed down by the literal burden of history.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Wanderers<\/em> is on view through October 24 in New York. Find more from Locke on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"a
Installation view of \u2018The Wanderers\u2019 at P\u00b7P\u00b7O\u00b7W. Photo by Ian Edquist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
\u201cSpirit House 9\u201d (2026), watercolor and pencil on paper, 25 1\/2 x 30 1\/8 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
\u201cSouvenir 27 (Alexandra)\u201d (2025), mixed media on antique Parian ware, 20 5\/8 x 15 3\/4 x 9 7\/8 inches. Photo by Damian Griffiths<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
\u201cForeign Exchange 3\u201d (2026), plywood, tin, zinc, brass, copper alloys, jesmonite, plastic, synthetic fabric, acrylic paint, resin, fiberglass, enamel paint, acrylic medium, 33 1\/2 x 21 5\/8 x 20 7\/8 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
\u201cSpirit House 10\u201d (2026), watercolor and pencil on paper, 25 3\/8 x 30 1\/8 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
Installation view of \u2018The Wanderers\u2019 at P\u00b7P\u00b7O\u00b7W. Photo by Ian Edquist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member<\/a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article The Legacy of Colonialism Haunts Hew Locke\u2019s Era-Defying Flotilla<\/a> appeared first on Colossal<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Although Hew Locke\u2019s practice revolves around geographically bound objects\u2014superimposed drawings of Guyanese homes and his suspended flotilla among them\u2014the artist traces the reaches of empire that extend far beyond any…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8352"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8352\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}