Journeys: Conrad Shawcross and Tavares Strachan October 19, 2011

British artist Conrad Shawcross and Bahamian artist Tavares Strachan (RISD BFA '03) embrace the spirit of exploration in their respective works. 'Pre-Retroscope VI' is a handmade row boat with a motorized camera track Shawcross built and used for an expedition of New York City's Gowanus Canal in 2009. Together with the boat, his resulting 360-degree panoramic video footage is projected in the gallery. The beach near Strachan's hometown of Nassau is the site of an experimental rocket launch in 'Blast Off' (2009). Strachan--who trained as a cosmonaut--sets out to discover what happens when he sends his rocket, made of glass from island sand and powered by sugarcane, into the heavens. His investigation is documented through photographs and features glass remnants meticulously gathered for exhibition.