electric angel /design for life

lift : glass in york hospital

photos of one of three glass lift panels commissioned by York NHS Trust and now installed in York Hospital. this was a collaboration with Rachel Welford along with a ceiling-based artwork for the lift to one of the operating theatres. we blogged about the manufacturing process here. i’ll blog the other three artworks over the coming week as i sort through the photos.

the designs are all based around trees native to britain that have an association with healing. the intention of the panels is to both replace the undesirable unbroken reflection of a mirror (because no-one really wants to be faced with their reflection when they’re ill or under stress) and provide a distraction on what can feel like a long journey as the lift travels.

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our design uses layered imagery and text that offers both an instant impact on the lift doors opening and also reveals more detail over time be that a single or much repeated journey. we’re told that since the panels were installed staff have been discussing their favourite tree to travel in. the bold bands of colour offer a practical purpose that came out of research into DDA issues and problems associated with hospital lifts – to provide a clear indication of the rear wall of the lift for partially sighted people.

liquid quality

the 2011 swim times leaflet for the imove sea swim project.

the photograph that covers the whole leaflet was taken by james swimming out in the south bay and we printed it in reverse on translucent paper with the black type printed on the front to give a sense of depth. the white lettering is the whited out of the background image and so is basically the light shining through the paper. the typography continues a house style for the project started on the beach huts earlier in the year.

we’ve had more lovely comments about this than any other recent piece of work (thanks everyone who has taken time to mention how much they like it), not least this typically poetic one from john who is co-curator of the project: “lovely liquid quality – as if you’d dipped an image in the water and hung it up to run and dry”

the leaflet was printed by north wolds.

the big draw

it’s all community engagement with us at the moment… we were invited to lead one of ‘the big draw‘ events at the rotunda museum and were quick off the mark to snap up ammonites as our theme for the day – who doesn’t enjoy drawing swirly shapes? we had great fun and loved the fabulous drawings of everyone who took part. if you couldn’t get down today there’s still opportunity to join in creating a large banner each day up to and including saturday.

limestone journeys – the artwork

here’s the limestone journeys artwork i blogged about last week on display for the ‘festival of the environment’ at creswell crags visitor centre in derbyshire. there were some great comments about the artwork, not least the postcards written in character as ice age cave dwellers.

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if you’d like to read about the different sections of the artwork and the activities that led to them being created you can download an info sheet here.

limestone journeys

we’ve been clocking up the miles just lately on public art projects. one of these has been with year 6 at whaley thorns primary school on the derbyshire-nottinghamshire border. it’s part of a project called limestone journeys and we’ve been commissioned by junction arts to work with the school to develop a map-artwork that explores the movement and lives of peoples in the area over 15,000 years.

we took the stance that the artwork would be created from that which the young people had discovered for themselves and to this end invited writer-director lizi patch to join me in the school to develop a way of working in which much of the artwork could be created ‘in character’. the final 5 metre long artwork will include postcards written by ice age people, lettering by roman empire migrants and photomontage created from the lives of their grandmas and granddads.

the above photos are (clockwise from top right): photographing a possible drinking place to make an ice age postcard; exploring a cave at creswell crags; hot-seating in character inspired by family heirlooms; a day in the life of an early homosapien.

the artwork will be exhibited next weekend at the festival of the environment at creswell crags visitor centre.

northerly – you’re invited

we’ve had some exhibitions that have meant a lot to us in our tiny gallery since opening in february 2010. but even by our standards, this one is going to be rather special…

if you’re reading this, please do feel invited to come along. the exhibition will continue through to november and is part of the arts programme put together by coastival for the UK pro surf tour which comes to scarborough next month.

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the writing’s on the wall

this year’s beverley literature festival brochure. front cover image, beverley images and children’s photography all by james. and it’s all real bar the ’2011′ sticker – no photoshoppery here, thank you.

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as with last year’s we’ve used a flip-over approach so the single piece of print can work as both full and children’s festival brochure according to how it’s displayed.

little acrobats

our tiny gallery is currently playing host to these little acrobats, the result of a workshop led at st martins primary school by rebecca and artist rachel welford. they were inspired by the three sculptures by bob tuffin we’re continuing to exhibit in the trees outside our studio. more little acrobat pics over on the gallery website.

the little acrobats will be around for about another week before we prepare for an exhibition as part of the uk pro surf tour which hits scarborough in october. more on that rather special exhibition very soon…

cathedral of steam

you’ve maybe noticed the odd railway reference on this blog, or the enthusiasm for working on railway-related artwork. another such opportunity pulled into platform 1 recently when we were commissioned to create public artwork as part of the derby city of invention project.

our contribution to a series of 12 works displayed in the city was this image inspired by derby’s railway heritage, and in particular, the world’s first purpose-built roundhouse (a building housing a turntable and circular arranged tracks to fix and house locomotives). you can read more about the project and our musings on the importance and sheer impressiveness of this building on the projects website. original photograph by andrew cowell.

typobike

if you’ve taken the most cursory glance at james’ blog, tweets or photography portfolio you’ll know about him and bikes… i know about james’ ability to use a mouse and keyboard with one arm in a sling. so whilst it’s unlikely i’ll also be flinging myself down mountains on two wheels anytime soon, i was recently given a long discarded rusty old gal which prompted this repaint and spur-of-the-moment typography job (you’ll see i didn’t really bother tackling too much of the rust).

having a bike again has prompted something of an affair with the cinder track (site of the wayfinding artwork we created with rachel welford) which i’d only walked various sections of before. having tasted the scarborough end of the route on bike and loving the ravenscar stretch on foot i’m rather tempted to attempt the whole scarborough-whitby in one go. but should this sound all rather athletic, no fear – there are plentiful opportunities for ice creams, cream teas and pub lunches on route.