Arts Programme and Cultural Development

Public Art in Barking and Dagenham

Barking Town Centre Artscape

Temporary Street Painting and Postcard Project

The street painting project is a temporary artwork, by Alison Unsworth who has been researching the buildings, housing and interiors that used to be in the borough for this 'street decoration' and postcard project.

During October and early November 2005, Alison oversaw the painting of old interior design patterns on the streets and roads which were once near to or on which once stood these buildings with the patterns in.

The project looks to reinforce the sense of ongoing change and development of the Town Centre particularly in these areas that will again see a big change as part of the regeneration and redevelopment.

Alison's project looks to evoke memories of what used to be in the area and are painted directly outside Barking Train Station, at the bottom of Axe Street near the recycling bins and around the bottom of Clockhouse Avenue, near East Street.

The patterns have been sourced from archive images of Barking and Dagenham and were hand drawn before being transferred to a set of stencils and then painted in the bright yellow paint normally used for yellow road markings. They go across the floors, up onto posts and railings.

These patterns are derived from those of the original interior design for kitchens on the Becontree Estate, the foyer of the Rio Cinema (circa 1935), a Linton's show flat bedroom (circa 1961) and the ground floor hall and stairs for Woodlands in Rainham Road North.

A series of postcards have been produced to be distributed through public buildings, which show the full range of the patterns drawn on by Alison for this project. They can also be used by members of the public as actual postcards.

The project is funded entirely by Communities and Local Government grant for public spaces and public art, including for temporary installations that raise the profile of work being done to improve the area.

Pictured is the Artist's impression of how the painting might look - this installation is now complete, but we are considering extending it along the areas to be redeveloped as part of the East London Transit works.

Axe Street

Interior Patterns

Contact

Tracey McNulty

Group Manager - Arts Programme and Cultural Development

4th Floor

Maritime House

1 Linton Road

Barking

IG11 8HG

Tel: 020 8227 2482

Fax: 020 8227 3254

Email: artsadmin@lbbd.gov.uk|