Twenty Three 23

Genres: Experimental, Non-narrative

Twenty Three 23 is a work honouring family, taking inspiration from the lives of the my grandparents and just how small and large the world truly is.

My paternal step-grandfather, Gus, was born in Canada and worked on whaling boats prior to the prohibition on whaling. He occasionally told stories of his adventures and travels as a seaman, and of his respect for the creatures that allowed him to earn his livelihood.

My maternal grandmother, Lorna, lived her entire life in Australia. She was raised inland, but spent the majority of her life by the sea. Lorna lived a different sort of adventure to Gus, her husband passed away a few years after they were married, leaving her single mother, working multiple jobs to raise two children.

Gus often visited the port city which Lorna called home, and although Gus and Lorna never met, their legacies intersect through the their children and grandchildren. “Twenty Three 23” is an attempt to explore the vastness and intimacy of the world that shapes us.