About A Mermaid’s Tale

“I hear those voices that will not be drowned”

inscription for Maggi Hambling’s Scallop on Aldeburgh beach from Benjamin Britten’s opera Peter Grimes.

‘A Mermaid’s Tale’ is one of a series of publications developed from ‘found narratives’ based on photographs of textures of objects scattered around Aldeburgh in Suffolk.

All the images in the book were developed from photographs of sections of old weathered wooden boards propped against boats or sides of boxes on waste land between fish houses. Developed in Procreate on my iPad through cropping and blending, dramatic visions of ses storms, sea monsters, faces and figures appeared that reminded me initially of a book ‘The Old Man of Orford’ with woodcuts by Stanley Donwood. But the figures and faces I saw were more female.

The images and text of this book finally came together as ‘A Mermaid’s Tale in 2022. Taking part inspiration from Suffolk Folk Tales about mermaids and sea monsters. But also the sculpture and poetry of Maggi Hambling. And continuing news about social portrayals of women, self-image and gender violence.