Simon Faithfull

This artwork is part of Ways of Seeing, a partnership between Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture 2019 and the Government Art Collection. Ways of Seeing turns the borough into a gallery with 33 internationally renowned artists displayed in 28 unexpected locations.

Have you ever wondered what it is like to see the world through a dog’s eyes? Simon Faithfull’s video 13 shows a greyhound’s journey along the A13 road, set to an electronic soundtrack. It starts in Barking (get it?) and stretches to the Essex coast. The work is composed of 13 drawings, made over a 13-day journey.

There is a long tradition of artists recording their travels with sketches. Faithfull used a PalmPilot, a handheld device introduced in the 1990s, as a drawing tool. By animating his drawings, he brings the dog’s journey to life.

13 was commissioned by Arts Council England and Channel 4. It was shown on television in 2004. The soundtrack is by Joe Wilson of the trip-hop band Sneaker Pimps.
    
Simon Faithfull was born near Reading and lives and works in London and Berlin. He studied Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, London, and Reading University. He often explores the idea of journeys. His 2002 film, Orbital No. 1, was filmed while travelling around London on the M25 motorway, the North and South Circulars and the Circle Line. He is Associate Professor at the Slade School of Fine Art, London.

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