Still Water Voice Over

Still Water by Nomad Clan. Still Water is an artwork which is apart of the Hit the North competition, similar to When You Weren't looking. Made in 2017, this piece depicts an Irish foreman, facing a fearsome-looking wolf. In the background, we can see the famous shipyard of Belfast. The cranes and boats silhouetted, shaded by the setting sun. The artists discuss on their website that it is a tribute to "Belfast's heritage".

The shipyard and the worker is clearly a reference to the industry as many other artworks around the city are. The frame of the piece being a reference to the linen and rope industry. The wolf however, is a reference to the Belfast city shield. A symbol of strength. 

Yet there is more. The artists talk about the distance between the two figures is a reference to the troubles. A bloody historical period in which tensions were so high all over Northern Ireland. Yet they both look to the other and acknowledge the past. Hopefully not forgetting and learning from the past.

Finally the artists took into consideration the human figure. To make them "androgynous" so as to create more female representation and a statement for gay marriage in a country which at the time had banned it and had issues with women's rights.