The Travelling Man

Poem is written in response in to Joel Watkins-Groves piece The Travelling Man. By Maureen Sutton

 

Before the camera on your I Pad

has processed, The Travelling Man,

the collector, has crossed the globe.

Ancient artefacts fill his office space:

Remains of the Dryad, spears, a warrior’s

armour, weaponry, helmets and hats

from far off lands. Secrets stored in boxes.

Don’t make a move on his chess board

or he’ll take you anywhere he chooses.

Beware of symbols and indecipherable

codes that only the master knows.

Look through his telescope and you’ll see

more than stars; a glimpse into the artist’s mind,

a chance to share his admiration of Tolkien.

Don’t be fooled by the weight of ‘Angel Feathers’

the cloaked crow has his eye on them and you.

 

"The Collection was a real 'chattels fest' for those of us who are fascinated by all the cultural objects humankind has created over many millennia. It was creatively and imaginatively bound together by the ingenious concept of the travelling man collecting the innumerable artifacts as he went along. The extension from purely physical materials to intellectual - secret writings, codes and so on developed the artistry further. The hands on approach - the ability to touch and interact with the objects greatly enhanced the experience for me and other visitors when I was there. I have for a long time been drawn to the notion of 'embodied memory' in at least certain items but do not know whether this was included in the artist's brief. Overall I greatly enjoyed the visit." Chris Barnett

"I really enjoyed the Travelling Man . Joel has done a fantastic job." - Nikki Kennedy

"Loved the show!" - Charlotte Owen

 "Traveller's office is amazing! He definitely has designed very carefully for every details including the dust." - Zoe Huang