New murals on Portobello North Wall
There's a new show up on the Portobello North Wall between Oxford Gardens and Golborne Road, Heart of the Community by Peter Dunn. The series of photomurals celebrates key Golborne and Portobello personalities and events from the last 100 years.Heart of the Community is the eighth in a series of original art installations commissioned by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on the Portobello Road North Wall, and will remain in situ for six months, when a new set of artworks will be exhibited. Tenders for the next commission are now being sought – details are at the end of this article.
Talking about his new work, Peter Dunn said, "I focused on the extraordinary acts of ordinary people who rose above the challenges life dealt them to create something of value for us all.
"A lot of history happened behind this wall, starting with Portobello Farm which gave the road its name. So I decided to open up the wall, showing different events in a time-space continuum.
"I’ve also had fun playing with the tradition of History Painting: the epic sweep and exaggerated perspective. I’ve incorporated the styles, and in some cases the work, of artists of a particular period. There are some visual jokes too – enjoy."
Peter Dunn won international recognition with his pioneering use of billboards and photomurals during the 1980s. He later moved into three-dimensional public artworks and digital installations, ranging from a 5-metre tall Tree of Life which generates power from the wind, to interactive projection systems engaging thousands of people and linking two towns. You can find out more about his work at arte-ofchange.com.
Councillor Timothy Coleridge, Cabinet Member for the Arts, said, "The Council is proud to support this new installation which brings the Portobello Road North Wall to life and celebrates the area’s residents, history and events. Through his visual time capsule Peter offers us a portrayal of the people, events and developments that have shaped the communities of North Kensington."
Tenders for next commission
The Council is looking for the next commission for the Portobello Road North Wall public art project. The title for the installation, One Five Zero, is in recognition of the fact that 2015 marks the 150th anniversary of market trading in North Kensington.The Council is keen to encourage submissions across a wide range of appropriate visual arts media, which engage with the theme of markets and One Five Zero. Proposals must be submitted by email by 12 noon on Friday 30 January 2015.
The full brief for the commission is here.
Previous shows on the Portobello Wall:
Aspects of Carnival
Fiona Hawthorne
Tea and Coffee
Nadia Hammoud
The Atom Rooms
Various artists
ReCollection)
Natasha Mason and Teresa Crawley
Mandala (Dead Space)
Claire Morgan
La Muralla
Liane Lang
Share
Hew Locke