Information for the SBM walk
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A. Salamanca Street
Here we've placed eight mosaics and seven ceramics. This street is named after the battle of Salamanca, fought by Lord Wesley (before he became the Duke of Wellington) on July 22nd 1812. The battle was a decisive moment in the struggle to drive Napoleon and his forces out of the Iberian Peninsula. Wesley was allied to the Portuguese and Spanish forces and was feted as a hero by them after winning the battle of Salamanca. He was being painted by Francisco Goya upon reaching Madrid, and the portrait of Wellington which we have used is inspired by Goya's work. Other mosaic works in the street include views of the city of Salamanca, which is arguably Spain's most historic university town.The ceramics in Salamanca Street reference North Lambeth's role as a major ceramics manufacturing centre, with over 70 potteries making a variety of goods from ceramic pipes and drains to fine art sculptures and vases. Running into Salamanca Street is a small Park called Pedlars Acre and our artists have placed two small mosaics on posts at the end of the street. One depicts The Pedlar, whose image can be found in a stained glass window at St. Mary's Church (The Museum of Garden History) and the other is a Spanish flamenco dancer.
B. Black Prince Road At this stop we have placed six mosaics and six ceramics in the tunnel at the river end of the road. The Black Prince was Edward III's eldest son, who was a medieval warrior responsible for victories at the Battles of Crecy (1346) and Poitiers (1356). The road is named after him because he owned Kennington Manor at the south end of Black Prince Road. Examples of tiles and a Tinworth frieze sculpture decorate the outside of the Doulton's old headquarters in Black Prince Road.The ceramics reference the work of Doulton's Lambeth wares.
C. St. Mary's Garden Here we have turned a large fountain into a mosaic and installed six paving stones. At a gateway into Lambeth the artists and volunteers at Southbank Mosaics have decorated the inside of the fountain in St. Mary's garden. The fountain mosaic depicts colourful koi carp, river reeds and two jewelled beaches, inspired by the works of Emma Biggs and Tessa Hunkin. There are 6 paving stones around the fountain made by one of our artist volunteers, Helen Lees, depicting flora and fauna.
D. Lambeth Walk A large, striking, abstract mosaic on the wall of Chandler Hall.
Plus 4 Charlie Chaplin portraits.
E. Archbishop's Park Archbishop's Park is the South Bank's largest open public space (apart from the river walk) and a hidden gem. Here there's a seat we've covered with mosaic (within the children's play area - adults must be accompanied by a child), four murals (in the green shelter) and twelve paving stones. Southbank Mosaics artists have worked with community volunteers to create a Tree of Life mosaic within the children's play area of the park, surrounded by some wooden seating. The Tree of Life is an "oak" which carries within its boughs pineapples (referencing the area's connection to John Tradescant, who perhaps grew the first pineapple in England, although this is open to question?) and bananas (representing the fruit of New Covent Garden in Vauxhall). Beneath the oak tree there are some lambs, which hint at a possible origin for the name of Lambeth as the "berth where Lambs were brought to and from London. Once again, this origin of the name of Lambeth, is not certain.Above the oak there is a dove of peace, which was made by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. Rowan suggested another theory, that the name Lambeth may have come from a Saxon word meaning "mud-bank." A picnic is spread to one side of the oak tree and there is a bottle of wine with FOAP on its label - this refers to the Friends of Archbishop's Park who commissioned the work. We've also worked with children from Johanna Primary School, Evelina children's Hospital and Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre as volunteers, who created four seasonal murals for a shelter in the park. Volunteers from Kings College University helped us out as well, and created seven paving stones for the same shelter.
F. Carlisle Lane Here we've installed seven William Blake Murals. These were the first Blake murals installed as part of our studio's major project to create Blake's Lambeth. In 1809 William Blake wrote that he wanted his work enlarged and put up where the public could see it. The artists and volunteers at Southbank Mosaics are fulfilling Blake's wish, creating a place within North Lambeth where Blake's works, transformed into mosaics, can be seen on the street 24 hours a day, accessible to all and completely free.
G. Centaur Street 28 mosaics and ceramics of William Blake's work are displayed in Centaur Street. These have been made by the artists and volunteers at Southbank Mosaics, with over one hundred people involved in the designing, making and installation process. Southbank Mosaics is leading the way in turning the area around where William Blake lived on Hercules Road, into Blake's Lambeth. William Blake wrote that he wanted to see his work enlarged and put into public space. The works on display in Centaur Street are all from Blake's Lambeth period (1790 - 1800). One side of the street has works from the Songs of Innocence and Experience, the other side from a variety of his other Illuminated Books and one from his Illustration work (of Steadman's "Revolt in Surinam").The William Blake Heritage Project, sponsored by the Heritage Lottery fund, has seen Southbank Mosaics collaborate with Southbank Sinfonia and Futures Theatre Company, to take the works of William Blake to a wider audience, including young people and the local community, broadening the understanding of Blake's work and keeping his legacy alive. Through a series of workshops and performances in schools, at Waterloo Action Centre, the Festival Hall and St Johns Church Waterloo, Project Blake has reached thousands of people and the permanent exhibition in Centaur Street is viewed by upward of 30,000 people each year. The next steps in the ten year project are to expand Blake's Lambeth into Virgil Street and the long tunnel along Carlisle Lane, that leads into Westminster Bridge Road. As Martha Bryant, a local resident said "Centaur Street used to be a frightening place to avoid. Now I love coming here, reading the poems and seeing Blake's beautiful work."Currently there are also ten sound boxes, with many of Blake's poems and sayings read by local residents. Push the button and hear the words of William Blake, a wise man from long ago, with attitudes that the chime with many contemporary ideas about justice, equality and the worth of each individual.
The link to a BBC article: "Putting Blake back on the Lambeth's Streets"
H. St. John's We have at least twenty-three works throughout the outside of St. John's church yard (Numbers change, because some of the smaller sculptures are sold, or moved, or added to). Our studio is located in the crypt of St Johns church. If you ring bell number 5 and we're around, we will do our best to welcome you. We've made seven signs, four seating sculptures, one paving stone and there are a dozen or more small sculptures. The mosaic signs are for the artistic organisations working together and out of St. John's Crypt. These include: Southbank Sinfonia, Futures Theatre Company, The Voice Factory, Bankside Keys and Southbank Mosaics.There are four sculptural seats in the gardens, the largest of which is a memorial seat for the homeless people who have lived and died on the streets of London. Many of them stayed and at times lived on the streets of Waterloo and used the gardens as a meeting place for friends. These days Putting Down Roots, a branch of St Mungo's charity, works with homeless people to plant, tend and develop the gardens for everyone's use. Southbank Mosaics' artists have worked closely with Putting Down Roots, particularly on the seating projects. Over 80 artists and volunteers helped Southbank Mosaics to design, build and make this first tribute of its kind to the street population.
I. Waterloo Station This stop is located on Tennison Way and Boyce Street and includes two signs and two William Blake murals. The Bus Sign combines the face of Leonardo's Mona Lisa, with the body of Botticelli's Birth of Venus. She is pointing towards the buses with an embarrassed look on her face because she is also shy of being naked in public. She points away from her boyfriend who is carrying their baby on his shoulders, behind the bus. In the background the skyline of London is visible.The Train sign uses Seurat's renowned painting of working class bathers at Asnieres, which hangs in the National Gallery, as the basis for a story of a group of people catching the train at Waterloo to visit the countryside and relax. There is also a woman with umbrella and daughter, referencing another work by Seurat: "Un dimanche apres-midi a I'lle de la Grande Jatte".
J. Waterloo Bookmarket By Waterloo Bridge, we've made a mosaic indicating where the South Bank Book Market is held. Further east along the Thames River path we put up a mosaic for Gabriel's Wharf. This part of the Southbank Mosaic Walk is particularly nice as you get the view down and across the Thames River, towards St Paul's Cathedral. We are currently making another, to replace the older sign.
K. Gabriel's Wharf The sign on the embankment railings
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