Ulysses and the relay race

Reading Jame Joyce’s Ulysses is like taking part in a relay race, there is a brief moment of intimacy between runners as they both handle the priced baton. And then one is away, the baton in increasingly sweaty palms. Individuals become part of a larger movement with only some ever completing the race, many stagger and stumble clutching at their chest. Some however, head held high breathing under control proudly pass on the baton to the next.

Steve Williams was a combination of these, his works based on Ulysses show a slow and considered approach, walking where needed to get through the race. Over a box of wine and a tray of cakes artist Steve Williams told me of Ulysses. I listened to the story of lost souls finding their way in the world and was hooked.

Steve’s relationship with this epic work of literature has been one of a personal journey of discovery. Choosing to visit the setting of the novel and immerse himself in the visual references. These journeys form the background to his found object and print Ulysses series.

Words: Melissa Hardwick

Free Space Gallery