Remnants of a Voyage 2021
“The iron remains on the beach are from a British trawler, the Epine GY 7, which was wrecked east of Dritvik on the night of 13th March 1948. Five of the crew of 19 were saved. Rescue teams from Arnarstapi, Hellnar, and Hellissandur came to help, but conditions were difficult with bad weather and heavy seas. Members of the crew could be seen on the forecastle and the wheelhouse and tied to the rigging. The tide was coming in and huge waves broke over the ship. One man was washed up on the beach still alive. After the tide turned, it was possible to shoot out a line which the crew managed to tie to the mast, and the four men who were still alive were pulled to safety in a rescue seat. “ [Tourist information sign at the site]
This series focuses on the scattered remnants of twisted metal that litter the beach of Dritvik, Iceland, relics from the British trawler, the Epine GY 7. Each scrap of the destroyed ship is imbued with the weight of the memory of this catastrophe. I have isolated the pieces of metal in order to emphasize their role as commemorative relics of the event. The stark and brutal contrast of the objects strewn across the black lava beach confers to the scene a sense of tragedy and desolation. These images are a poignant reminder of the potentially destructive forces of nature and our fragility in the face of them.
Catherine Marcogliese
www.marcogliese.org
