'Thames Made Modern' by Artbash

'Thames Made Modern' is an artwork and poem project, at Globe View, on the north bank of the River Thames.

It is a multi-generational project, by ARTBASH, alongside the architects Rivington Street Studio and in collaboration with the lighting designers FPOV.

The artwork was developed following a series of workshops with several different communities.

The artwork is a layered montage. The backgrounds were painted by the children of Aldgate Primary School, who were inspired by mudlarking activities that they had participated in. 

The buildings were then added by students from Haggerston Community School, inspired by the views at Globe View.

It was a collaborative effort, by artists, residents and the congregation of St James Garlickhythe, that added the wildlife to the artwork. The congregation also helped with the poem.

The poem uses The Doves Type typeface. This typeface was believed lost, in 1916, when a disgruntled printer, TJ Cobden-Sanderson, threw his famous typeface into the River Thames, to spite his business partner. However, in 2014, the original metal type was salvaged from the River Thames by divers and mudlarks. With the type now in hand, Robert Green, a graphic designer, set about digitally reconstructing it and so was able to use it here.

In all there are six paintings, each with its own piece of poetry, which can be found below.

Mighty heart, mighty London
Spanning. Timeless
Ethelred's Hythe to Queenhithe
Welcoming Charles II's landing
Southwark Bridge in steel stealing Dicken's heart
Riverside House looking buoyant
Glorious views from Globe View
Blues, greens, aquamarines & a glimpse of grey

European Eels swarming and waving
With shoals of Bream chasing & biting
The ebb, the flow, the perpetual flux
Thames made modern

'Collector' by Georgie Fay

'Collector' by Georgie Fay.

Tuesday November 28, 2023.

It was a particularly chilly Tuesday morning as I made my around Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, during my walk from Angel to the City of London then up to Euston. The sun, bright in the morning sky, did nothing to dispel the chill that permeated this enclosed park and burial ground, which I had last visited back in 2018, during another walk, and had long since wanted to revisit the place.

Since my previous visit a new public artwork had been installed, consisting of a metal ring, suspended by ropes from three trees, from which hung sails of original printed art.

Hanging like Tombstones.

With the sun still low in the sky it cast just the right amount of light, dispersed by the surrounding trees, to highlight these unique printed sails.

With no breeze to disturb the piece it seemed to hang like painted tombstones.