These are some of the art projects I have worked on over recent times.
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Professional highlights
In my public art career I have delivered about 100 art projects, large and small, all over the U.K. I am currently working with a firm of architects on the Isle of Wight to design a flagship programme of nine public toilets, building the ‘Greenest Loos in the Nation’ I have had several artist-in-residence positions, most significantly a four year residency with Greenwich Healthcare Trust. I was an artist with the Leicester City Challenge regeneration scheme which won the Local Government News Urban Landscape Award. I have also worked as an expert mosaic consultant, for example on a large scale restoration project at the HQ of HSBC bank in London W1.
How I got here
I took a degree in fine art at St Martin’s College of Art in 1984. I went on to exhibit in a number of high profile galleries before joining forces in 1990 with another artist, Gary Drostle to establish Wallscapes, a successful public arts partnership which employed two other full time artists and a number of part time artists as well. ‘Wallscapes’ continued until 2000 when the two founding artists began to explore different collaborations and artistic pathways. I have continued to develop my practice carrying out strategic public art, focusing on environmental and regeneration projects. These have often been driven by community generated change. I am now able draw on a great deal of experience when working with communities in different mediums, which enables me to explore my own creativity and engage directly with the changing relationships between art and society.
Passion for public spaces
My main interest is the integration of art into the built environment – and in using high level community involvement techniques which harness the artistic process to raise individual aspirations and build stronger communities. I have worked on many collaborative projects which have focused on working with architect and design professionals as well as poets, writers, textile designers, gardeners and other visual artists. I really enjoy working in teams and through this working approach I have had the opportunity to realise a wide variety of large scale and complex public realm projects. I have worked with recycled and reclaimed materials to construct viable paving systems - using mosaic techniques but developing the mosaic medium well beyond its classical boundaries.
A few progres photos of my newest mosaic. A 4.5m dia. mosaic ring depecting the history of a town called Witney, famous for weaving.
Below is the mosaic I have just installed. Commissioned by Groundwork and funded by Midland Heart.
Below: 'The Ridgeway Map Mosaic'. A celebration of the countrside and heritage around Wantage.
A tree one of 4 circles going into paved areas in Newcastle.
