Martin Boyce
‘Kobe’
ISBN 978-1-7393293-6-5
Martin Boyce’s ‘Kobe’ is a ‘single strip narrative’ made up of thirty-six photographic images laid out in a continuous sequence and printed on bamboo paper in a somber, highly nuanced palette. Altogether the strip, which runs on both sides of a concertina, is five meters long. Devoid of human or animal presences, it recounts Boyce’s frequent walks along the banks of the River Kelvin in the company of his dog Kobe. Deep inside a ravine the water flows alongside overgrown nature and decaying urban structures. Glasgow, the city where the Kelvin is located, is barely visible, just looming atop the river’s slopes. Kobe, the dog, finally appears, but only on the inserted postcard which also functions as the certificate for this work.