The Naval Spirit, by Canaan Brown, is a fictional memoir, inspired by the narrative of Joseph Johnson - a Black British sailor who served in the British Navy during the early 1800s, was discharged due to injury, and was not afforded his pension or state relief. A story set in magic and historical fiction, Johnson comes to find he has a supernatural gift, that allows him to communicate with the ghosts of another dimension; spirits; duppies; ghosts who transcend time and space, in order to help us see the conditions of our world, anew.
Overarching Project: The Naval Spirit, 2022
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/780e06fe7fb4655876ca71c342f8d516f1ba7b4d43dead4be804697b962c1fd7/Screenshot-2022-03-03-at-21.35.25.png)
The Body of Work:
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e832c069504c36974dfe0cd0c915a4ef836e06af2692f918efb89a7e6874471b/Canaan-Brown----The-Naval-Spirit----03-23.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9f2f59033a334cc20085f7c9759d2f80ac70737241ac079f22a67fd5428042a3/Canaan-Brown----The-Naval-Spirit----03-232.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9285592625b1c064ec8ef98579f9a6c23893c73e285f9ddd1a676c9cb2fdd1dc/Canaan-Brown----The-Naval-Spirit----03-233.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8ce41cf57a0781dbd0536eaa08307e468ba2ed7324f96716ce858e761ca3f711/Canaan-Brown----The-Naval-Spirit----03-234.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/497cb2af63746c3dca08a4f966d42b6b912765ba6675802c74846601bb114fef/Canaan-Brown----The-Naval-Spirit----03-235.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/424f9222e24e8aedaf3c5dda545c1160f5f0fa74c0ad521b5eb3cdc81b8492db/Canaan-Brown----The-Naval-Spirit----03-236.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b0d306f60872d76ee840f74c2684f75c45a93129d5bdf68b4de081687f002979/Canaan-Brown----The-Naval-Spirit----03-237.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b6e6225e34b26d5dcad9681318a81f21ab1c3dd8c231022289f8c58badc80a7d/Canaan-Brown----The-Naval-Spirit----03-238.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ce27927b7a1324d78bc5657ba7cc67e349068cb7e8f44fa75a8a913f4181698f/Canaan-Brown----The-Naval-Spirit----03-239.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/19925534c8a1e0cf85f10d0a0aa7f5d646d7705c66fc3ff5790d21ed5d6a33fa/Canaan-Brown----The-Naval-Spirit----03-2310.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/aa14d948645f1be73d2f3ab91ac52fe16929e4264e36027665333a2af01d3696/Canaan-Brown----The-Naval-Spirit----03-2311.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7dbfe7932e5acd817ab6565f904ce9ca584d6f4e80525f6554c79d6410cb4632/Canaan-Brown----The-Naval-Spirit----03-2312.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1bb644a799fd9c36a17806f9a97e42cded69443963f2ddcf8892f3c38f2bec94/Canaan-Brown----The-Naval-Spirit----03-2313.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ffa6b0b068ed05b53f5644aa257ca1456294e644c65a1e65e2993779ec847838/Canaan-Brown----The-Naval-Spirit----03-2314.jpg)
The Naval Spirit, by Canaan Brown, originated as a creatively written fictional memoir. Recounting the life of Joseph Johnson - through lenses of magic, fiction, and the Black fantastic - the story re-imagines Johnson’s life in Georgian Britain; in the Navy, and as the first documented Black British artist.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/00d4d2eef0a7eb3e2b14ef47d0d038361a2f66d1e721e50de308c409b212e8d4/Screenshot-2022-03-03-at-21.38.09.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fe7264dedcd6f651903d22868aba164ab193d35261b4e4ed42c443ef9ee811c2/Screenshot-2022-03-03-at-21.37.19.png)
England Expects Every Man To Do His Duty. This famous maritime phrase, attributed to Admiral Horatio Nelson - during the British victory over Napoleon Bonaparte in the Battle of Trafalgar - is an ironic statement when applied to the context of marginalised professionals within Britain. In a country where one can do their duty, yet not be afforded their state relief because of their background - (for example in the case of the Black 19th Century British Naval sailor, Joseph Johnson) - this strikes a juxtaposition between imperial expectations and socio-political realities.
Titanium-painted MDF on plaster (1014.898 mm x 328.464 mm)
Titanium-painted MDF on plaster (1014.898 mm x 328.464 mm)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/87943f5f26dae5cd0b076670f39343ab6cba68724608602cec020d661dd2d921/Screenshot-2022-03-03-at-21.38.36.png)
Naval Illuminations (Shadow Play): a piece displaying a blown up projection of a Naval ship plan - inspired by research from the National Museum of the Royal Navy museum. Recreated in acrylic, the piece is an exploration of the artist’s visual language - playing with scale, light and, also, how such an otherwise utilitarian blueprint can offer a wealth of visual potential.
Clear acrylic, overhead projector (1900mm x 700mm)
Clear acrylic, overhead projector (1900mm x 700mm)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4661f6b52623790050ba0259b98f3df459a1faaa661663b6cb2b8b66aca4ea28/Screenshot-2022-01-09-at-21.30.20.png)
The Naval Chambers: this piece is inspired by The Naval Spirit, and the context in which Johnson is set. Visited by a ghost from a near future, the scene is set in Joseph Johnson’s Naval chambers - fictionalised, and based on true historical Naval rooms on British ships.
Digital Construction in Blender (Size dependent on viewing screen)
Digital Construction in Blender (Size dependent on viewing screen)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/955f5557f80403ec6bdf9a5e2789da358597c9e38b9be754cac065a86cfa365a/Screenshot-2022-01-09-at-12.43.01-copy-2.png)
New World is a piece that was initially created for Into The a student-led exhibition at the Birmingham School of Art. With parallels to the fiction and surrealism of The Naval Spirit, New World is a short story written by Canaan Brown, which has been blown up, manipulated and refigured - echoing the parallel dimension about which the story is written; a chaotic, exciting journey into an uncharted new world.
Matte paper (841mm x 1188mm)
Matte paper (841mm x 1188mm)