BLACK ARK

With the Black Ark installation at Newhaven Fishmarket I'm exploring ideas that communicate the positive nature of the DIY experimental studio culture that Jamaica fostered during the 1970’s when Reggae and then Dub projected a visionary sonic force onto the world stage. I’m using the 4-track reel to reel which sits at the centre of this progressive time of productive studio genius to build a shrine to this attitude. The shrines need a physical structure so it is here that the actual location of the harbour side fish market and the studio system blend. The most progressive of all studios in Jamaican history was BLACK ARK, the name allows access to many layers of belief and also leads directly to the imagery of arks and all that the name implies. In this installation the fishing boat, particularly the skeleton frames of these boats, supplements the 4 tracks creating structure for the shrine/ assemblage. images © mike inglis