Thursday Salute to Originals: British Houseboats
Recycling is the process of converting wasted materials into new materials and objects. Now, allow us to introduce you to artist Hamish McKenzie, a contemporary artist that resides in the historical community of River Adur in the English coastal Sussex town of Shoreham-on-Sea. A unique fact about this artist is that his work is his living space. Who would have ever guessed?
The community is comprised of 40 houseboats. McKenzie owns several houseboats and believes, “I’m an explorer, always keeping my eye open for things. I’m always looking for boat hulls: they are all individual projects.” His inspiration is taking an unpredictable object and converting it into a functional part of a living space. McKenzie’s work is a celebration of creativity and free-spiritedness. Every boat along the bay has a distinct difference from another as no two are the same.
McKenzie was trained as a civil engineer and started attending art school at the age of forty. Living in the rich cultural community of Shoreham-on-Sea is an escape from the day to day pressures of life ashore. The residents of this community and quirky, unconventional items are the primary influences in his work. McKenzie has used ambulances, buses, and parts of an airplane to build his residential water dwellings. His finished work is mindboggling as to the functionality and visual creativity of a houseboat.
This Thursday, we are saluting Hamish McKenzie and his peculiar houseboats! McKenzie’s work reflects the philosophy that thinking outside of the box is not always necessary, rather determining what one can invent WITH the box is itself a creative challenge.
Sources: Great Big Story, This is Colossal