Joe Dixey’s Walk Like a River is a photographic journey through the waterways that define Hounslow’s boundaries – the Grand Union Canal and River Brent along the North and East, the Thames River that runs along its Southern edge, and the River Crane in the West.
These photographs celebrate the natural and urban landscapes that are shaped by these rivers and canals. Pairing photographs with quotations from a range of literary and historical sources, the exhibition constructs a narrative that flows, like water, through time.
Walking is an important part of Dixey’s practice. Over two years, he has spent time walking, exploring and documenting the routes of each waterway to understand their unique characteristics. The Grand Union Canal is presented as a space of activity and industry, whilst the River Thames – the artery that connects Hounslow to the Capital – is a space of leisure, tourism and sightseeing. The River Crane, which has been drastically altered by river engineering, is a mysterious waterway, both hard to follow and to photography.
In A Sand County Almanac (1949) Aldo Leopold suggested “learning to think like a mountain.” This meant understanding the natural world around us better, so that we can make choices that are thoughtful, kind, and do not cause harm. Dixey also suggests that we can learn to “walk like a river” to better understand a place. This means moving in different ways and at varying paces, like a river does. For example, you might be still and reflective like the Grand Union Canal, rise and fall like the tide of the Thames, or meander and get lost like the River Crane. The waterways in Hounslow each show a different way to “walk like a river,” helping us to connect with and understand the Borough better.
To accompany this exhibition, Dixey is creating a new publication that delves further into his research. Alongside new photography, it includes maps and guided walks so that each of the waterways can be further explored by new audiences. This publication is made possible with support from the Crane Valley Community Grsnt (Groundwork).
CPP Hounslow 