Flight mural brightens up West Hill
Pupils collaborated with leading artist Anna Lucas to create a 12 metre long mural
Children at West Hill primary school and Anna Lucas created a striking 12 metre long mural which covers hoardings at a nearby development site.
The mural - which covers the theme of flight – has been painted on hoardings at the Wandsworth Business Village in Broomhill Road, which is currently being redeveloped into modern new office and business units.
And rather than leave the wooden hoardings that surround the building site blank and lifeless while the works are completed, Anna and the children decided to bring them to life with their own colourful images of flight.
The children, who are aged eight and nine, took part in a series of exercises and discussions to explore the notion of flight and what it means to them. They also took part in creative writing sessions on the theme.
Anna, who was assisted by fellow artist Georgie Manly, was able to use these written stories and the discussions she had with the children to create the artwork, which has been described as "something like a musical score", "a magical journey" and "a map with descriptive labels".
West Hill school's head teacher Julie Dobson said: "The students were extremely enthusiastic about the project. They all came up with different ideas, which the artists have put together into the story. We are very proud of the children’s work and hope that the community will enjoy it."
The colourful mural is likely to remain on display until the Spring when the development site's hoardings are scheduled to come down.
Anna Lucas was the 2008 Wellcome Trust Fellow at Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art and the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at Oxford University. She exhibited major new work Here and Your Here at FACT in Liverpool in 2007, while other solo shows include Adrift, at the Chisenhale Gallery London in 2004 and Bud whilst Henry Moore Fellow at Spike Island in Bristol 2003. Her latest film Little White Feather and the Hunter is currently touring the UK and USA.
The project was commissioned by Buisiness Village developers Workspace Glebe and supported by Wandsworth Council’s Arts Service and the Wandsworth Town Centre Partnership.
November 21, 2008