Public Art

During my recent visit to Bradford, there was no shortage of public art on display.  Although I didn’t have time to follow the official sculpture trail, I did manage to see several of the installations close to my hotel. First up was Timothy Shutter’s “Grandad’s clock and chair” depicting a mill owner’s office, the clock pendulum representing past and future. Then I discovered Fibres, an installation created by Tim Randall of two pillars constructed from old railway lines close to Forster Square station. Lastly, buried in the retail park sits Andy Hazell’s impressive lightbulb, shedding light on a safer city.

Public Art

I hugely approve of public art , be it street sculptures, community paintings or quirky celebrations of local events. And geocaching often takes you to places where some superb examples can be found. During my visit to Tyneside earlier this week, I had some free time between conference sessions so I raced across the Tyne Bridge on my way to Grainger Street in search of brass plaques set into the pavement.  What really appeals to me is that every day, thousands of people unknowingly walk over the  plaques which celebrate  random, everyday events that happen on any busy high street!

 

Public Art in Vitoria

Public art is  celebrated joyfully in Vitoria. Everywhere we visited were installations, murals and sculptures.  The city provides a stunning location to show-case local talent as many of the pieces were created by residents or had a local theme to them.  And what was surprising was that despite the political graffiti that appears on hoardings and walls, none of the art had been damaged.  The residents are rightfully proud of their city and heritage and celebrate it in a stylish way.  There is even a group, IMVG,  that promotes collaboration between professional artists and residents to produce stunning,visual interpretations