The Sunderland-born artist’s latest work reflects on how we see the world and our development of a sense of place
In Norse mythology, Njörðr was a god amongst the Vanir, a group of deities associated with fertility, wisdom, magic, the ability to see the future and nature. Though it’s contested, his name is widely believed to stem from the Irish word for ‘force’ or ‘power’, making it the perfect descriptor for the latest collection from Sunderland-born artist Tim Brennan.
Njörðr, showing at Arts Centre Washington from Saturday 25th June until Saturday 10th September, attempts to reflect on how we see the world and our development of a sense of place. He shows what life is like for us at 55° North by photographing light and landscapes at their most raw, yet Brennan decides to use a piece of tech most of us carry around in our pockets every day: a mobile phone. Using such a ubiquitous item just serves to draw further attention to the fact that these natural environments are all around us but are often ignored in our everyday lives. Brennan’s exhibition asks us to put away the technology and admire the magnificent, powerful landscapes that have been with us since ancient times.