Sean Wilson – Bayou Falso

Showcased at the Casa labia Museum

Showcased as part of Beyond the Beach group show curated by Paul Weinberg. Also submitted as a separate entry to MOP6. Showcased as a slide presentation at The Castle of Good Hope on Heritage Day 24th September.

Artist Statement

These images are selected from the larger series, Bayou Falso. This project involves a sustained exploration of the literal and metaphorical landscapes of False Bay. The bay got its name from pioneering Portuguese sailors who so regularly confused the bay with the nearby Table Bay, that they named it ‘Bayou Falso’. Symbolically this name suggests a place that erroneously promises refuge or safe mooring from the open sea, and this idea forms one of the narrative threads of this body of work. Whereas the bay is renowned for it’s ubiquitous postcard vistas, I have sought out images which reflect a more layered and complex impression of place and experience, both personal and collective. I am also simply inspired by the idea of looking closely at a familiar landscape over an extended period in an attempt to see the world more clearly.

Sean Wilson is a Cape Town based photographer whose work explores the intersection between the denotative and connotative aspects of the photographic medium. He aspires towards creating images that point beyond themselves and reflect reality in a mysteriously deepened form. Wilson’s commercial work predominantly involves photographing people for editorial, PR, corporate and educational publishing applications. His work is represented in the collections of British American Tobacco, The United States Embassy in Johannesburg and the United Kingdom Embassy in Cape Town. Wilson lives in Woodstock with his partner, son, and their border collie.