CLAUDIA DHARAMSHI – ARTIST
Claudia started rowing with the Bridport Gig Rowing Club in West Bay a year ago and it has since become the subject of her work. A fascination with the movement of the oar and the patterns it creates in the water led Claudia to explore ways to recreate this through drawing. Through trial and error she created Concept 3 rower, a playful motorised drawing machine which aims to mimic the motion of a gig boat oar. The machine has been constructed out of wood as much as possible both for the aesthetic and for the sound created. Although automated, the mechanism has a human quality to it. The force of the machine which is powered by a car wiper blade motor suggests the physical exertion of gig rowing.
The Boat Sings is an audio piece made from interviews with members of Bridport Gig Rowing Club. Sound is central to the experience of rowing, the click clack of the oars in the wooden pins is familiar, comforting, and part of the experience. The rowers’ comments reveal that gig rowing provides a tangible connection to the landscape and to other people. As with rowing where the experience is both individual and collective, the soundscape is a collaborative piece of work but everyone has a voice.