HOT talked to MICHAEL HAMBRIDGE, HBC’s Public Art Officer

“Public art” has come a long way in recent years: about as far as the Trafalgar Square Fourth Plinth. Not only is it goodbye to imposing statues of famous figures, but sometimes it’s goodbye to an art object at all.

Michael Hambridge was keen to stress the variety of roles an artist can play. An artist could, for instance, be employed as an integral part of the design team of a development. If this produced an identifiable element, it might be use of light, sound, water or colour rather than an add-on “work of art”.

Artists are more likely than the traditional professions to employ lateral thinking to solve problems. Vandalism of bus shelters was reduced by designing them to interact with the colours worn by waiting passengers to create sounds and music. Elsewhere a whole building complex was ‘tuned’ to sound harmonious in response to the movement of people through it.

The same detachment from institutional or commercial ways of interacting makes artists an ideal link into the community that’s going to use the space, so it can play a part in its creation.

We talked about the Braybrooke “tunnel” linking Lower Park Road with Morrisons: a stunning collection of strong colours that frames a frieze made up of hundreds of individual bricks, each painted by a member of the local community. This was organised by artist Carly Ralph, and without these personal involvements no traditional “work of art” would have survived, let alone turned this grim archway from an underworld of fear and dumped rubbish into a safer and brighter environment.

In St Leonards Kings Road development, two artists worked with children from local schools. With Lead Artist Steve Geliot, and photographer Hugh Harwood, schoolchildren studied early St Leonards architecture and took their own photographs. Judges produced a set of postcards from them, which are now being sold by local traders.

Steve’s work with landscapers on the new design of Kings Road included paving, new bollards and seating. And on the steps leading up to London Road, Annabel Tilley created an enduring mural using the street’s architectural detail.

Elsewhere if a community group has a great idea for public art they can come to Michael for advice on fundraising or any aspects of the process. He becomes “the enabler”, connecting up the Council, the community, the artist and the funds..

When it all comes together, it can really create a landmark such as the linked ponds in Summerfields Woods where the proposed art installations of Joc Hare and Leigh Dyer led to the ponds being cleared and landscaped as part of Hastings’ Greenway.

Projects in the pipeline include: Leigh Dyer’s metal play sculptures at Butlers Gap in George Street; artist Mario Rossi is working on the Enviro-21 sustainable business park off Queensway; and the partnership of Mary Hooper (who did so much to turn the Conquest into an art experience) and Elise Liversedge as ONE TWO ONE is working on the new Primary Care Trust building at Station Plaza to make sure it is “approachable”.

Together with residents of Southwater Road, they will also create a ceramic wall behind Warrior Square Station, and hopefully this will eventually form part of a network of artists’ work visible in the St Leonards area.

So watch this Open Space!

Below and Top:

Annabel Tilley’s designs for the

Kings Road steps in St Leonards

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