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CURRENT NEWS

Current work in progress and recently completed work.

Didcot Public Art Consultations

From tiny acorns… great artworks grow

 

Didcot Garden Town is one of the fastest growing towns in the UK and we are working with the Garden Town Team on a new public art plan.


Published by FrancisKnight Public Art Consultancy

date: 20 February 2024

 

"This isn’t a part of the UK that we knew well before, though we had passed through and visited nearby attractions on occasion. With our fresh eyes on the area, together with the assistance of our long-time collaborator Katayoun Dowlatshahi, who we appointed as Lead Artist – we have brought a new understanding and clarity to requirements for this project.

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Didcot is probably best known for Great Western Railway, an interchange that has had a huge impact on the town, bringing economic wealth as well as housing shortages. Fast forward to the 21st century and the parallels are evident as the Science Vale, a world class science community, expands and new housing increases to accommodate a rising population.

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We’ve really enjoyed meeting a range of the individuals, communities and businesses based in Didcot. Part of our role has been to listen. Consultation has taken a different approach with Katayoun leading the creative response to this project.

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Together with Katayoun, we have organised and facilitated as special public consultation event – ‘An Acorn for your Thoughts’ which gave us the opportunity to show the emerging plan and test out the public art principles, themes, and Public Art commissions. Feedback from the evening was positive, with some great comments and thoughtful suggestions. In exchange, we gave away germinated acorns ready to plant in a new home.

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We have since gone on to further develop the public art plan, which provides a fresh opportunity to review how public art is commissioned in Didcot Garden town. This builds on the pivotal role arts development and planning have developed over the past ten years, working with developers to commission artists and artwork that helps to create identity and pride as well as welcoming new residents to new community settings. The plan acknowledges the transformative journey Didcot Garden Town is undergoing and acknowledges the thriving network of partnerships and communities and their desire to reconnect with nature. It includes a review of current documents and aligns to new documents such as the Wayfinding Strategy, where public art and wayfinding are intrinsically linked.

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The plan builds on the community’s desire for positive engagement captured in ‘Reflecting Conversations’, while ‘The Artist’s Statement’ places the emphasis on quality placemaking, where artists can help to reinvigorate and re energise Didcot Garden Town’s evolving identity with a focus on community action, outreach and a focus on a green legacy.

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Importantly it highlights a dynamic community spirit which connects diverse entities, including businesses, scientists, charities, and cultural initiatives, showcasing a shared desire for positive change.
 

We look forward to sharing more updates with you as the plan progresses."

Public Art Hull

 

Art Work conceived

5 years ago for Queen's Garden in Hull is finally going into Production

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This can only be described as the longest project I have ever worked on! The simple reason being, as with many other construction based projects, that due to the pandemic and Brexit, the cost of materials had virtually trebled. It has taken a great deal of negotiation, planning and "value engineering" to bring down the costs in order to proceed with the construction works for Queen's Garden, Maritime Museum, Guildhall Road and the old docks alongside the River Hull.

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Though the art commissions, of which there are several, are a small part of the overall cost, their visual presence in the scheme is prominent. It is to Hull City Council's credit that all the art commissions have remained intact, as originally conceived.

 

The first of three commissions I have conceived for the garden is a series of drawings, that will spill across the granite steps leading down into the gardens from Guildhall Road, inspired by the large  collection of historic Scrimshaw in the Maritime Museum in Hull. These designs bring together fragments of images from a number of scrimshaw, scratched onto whale bones by whalers during the whale hunting season in the Arctic Circle.

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Technical drawing by Hardscape.

Artwork and copyright by K. Dowlatshahi.

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Scrimshaw Hull Technical drawing_edited.jpg
Greg Hawthorne Carbon Workshop

Workshops & Carbon Commissions

 

workshop availability from September 2024

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The studio workshops are going from strength to strength with more enquires and bookings, attracting artists and photographers from all around the globe. It has been my privilege to work with a diverse range of professional and amateur photographers. We have enjoyed their company, wit and engaging conversations whilst also getting to know every single person. I find these interactions very inspiring.

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The largest demand is for Carbon workshops. If you wish to know more then do drop me a line and I can send you a program for the 3 day or 5/6 day workshops. Though I have an outline for the workshop, this can be tailored to your needs and experience. There is always room for experimentation, so if you wish to try out something new, I will be happy to work on this with you.

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I have received some new reviews from workshop participants so read what they are saying about their experience with me.

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I have also worked on some private Carbon printing commissions. Collaborating with other artists is particularly of interest to me. Contact me to discuss your needs so that I can provide you with a quotation.

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Photograph by Katayoun Dowlatshahi of Greg Hawthorne, a recent student based in Andorra.

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