Chris Shaw’s photographic series captures the battle between nature and the urban landscape in his hometown of Wallasey. The images show the resilience of plants as they break through tarmac and emerge from the water of the docks. Making the weed his subject, Shaw takes a traditionally unwanted and invasive species and shows the beauty in overlooked places.
Tate Liverpool’s display The Plant that Stowed Away takes its title from one of these photographs. The display looks to the series as a starting point to explore ideas of migration and the movement of people. Starting in Liverpool and its surroundings, we travel across time and geographies through works from the Tate Collection.
Join curator Christine Eyene and Chris Shaw for an exciting discussion. They will discuss the agency of plants and the importance of maritime enterprise in Liverpool. Looking closely at Weeds of Wallasey, they will explore the importance of natural forms to the development of the city.