For my consulting work I did some research into the new UK freeports that have been authorised by the UK Government. The Government’s definition of a freeport is a special area within the UK’s borders where different economic regulations apply. This is not an obvious source of inspiration for an art work! However, maps for four of the freeports have recently been published and I was instantly intrigued by how visually interesting the combination of shapes is. As an artist, I am always inspired by trying to find poetry in every single situation. So, in principle, there is absolutely no reason why this cannot be used as the basis of an art work. In addition, one of the implications of being the Artist-Economist is that it is my duty to lean into making art out of what appear to be wholly economic topics. The freeports are, therefore, a challenge that I gladly embrace. For the first stage, I have taken all of the areas designated as freeports and organised the shapes on the same page. I already find these images compelling so this is a good starting point.
