Halifax Building Society now occupy the Burton Art Deco Building on Military Road and High Street, Chatham. Image: Christopher TippingHalifax Building Society now occupy the former Burton Tailors Art Deco Building on Military Road and High Street, Chatham. Image: Christopher Tipping
“Burton’s long history in men’s clothing is a remarkable story. It was founded in 1903 by Montague Burton (originally named Meshe Osinsky), one of several Russian Jewish immigrants who built enormously successful businesses from humble beginnings.
Burton became a household name because of good public relations and the way it treated its workers. Burton bought shops in the prime town centre spots and were instantly recognisable because of their design. There were few men in England who didn’t at some time enter the portals of a Burton’s “gentlemen’s club” and get measured for a Burton suit.
On the eve of the 1939-45 war, Burton again turned to the production of uniforms for troops. After the war, Burton produced a suit for war veterans nicknamed “The Full Monty”. By the end of the war, Burton was estimated to be clothing around a fifth of British males.” On:Yorkshire Magazine20th December 2012
The Art Deco Elephantmotif on the building on Halifax Building on Military Road was common to all Burtons buildings throughout the 1930’s. It is a large and significant building in Chatham and one which assists in anchoring our site on the route from the Station to the Waterfront – not insignificantly because of it’s wonderful Elephant motif’s.
The Halifax Building Society now occupies the former Burton Art Deco Building on Military Road and High Street, Chatham. Image: Christopher Tipping
A brilliant time-lapse film celebrating the Chatham Placemaking Project, by the Filmmaker Simon Williams was premiered on the Waterfront Big Screen in Chatham on Friday evening 6th May – and then ran at hourly intervals through Saturday 7th May –
‘A series of films will focus the eye and the heart and have clearly distilled a vision for the project – a reductive process of stripping back and looking afresh. Simon refreshingly admits he has fallen in love with Chatham – he has lived here for 15 years. ‘Chatham, Kent, England’is a remarkable 12-hour time-lapse work beautifully filmed from the roof of UCA at Fort Pitt. Standing in front of the Big Screen, the River Medway can’t actually be seen . The disengagement is clear. The film powerfully makes the case for Chatham to celebrate and acknowledge this enduring and symbiotic relationship. It could be an elegy for a Chatham we have forgotten but which is actually still alive and well and all around us’. Project Lead Artist Chris Tipping –
‘Chatham, Kent, England’, is the first in a series of films being delivered as part of the Temporary Art Programme supporting the Chatham Placemaking Project. They were commissioned by FrancisKnight Art Consultants and myself as project lead artist. ‘These are our Streets’, a collaboration between Simon and Rob Young, Writer, will be the second film in the series to be released.
Simon Williams on the roof of UCA Rochester at Fort Pitt. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Simon Williams.Simon Williams by the Waterfront Big Screen – showing ‘Chatham, Kent, England’. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: By Permission of Simon Williams.
Saturday 7th May 2016 – Pentagon Shopping Centre, Chatham
A workshop day – talking, being talked to – gathering stories, memories and an understanding of life in Chatham. Thanks to all who cam to speak to us – Elsie was one of them ! Her Dad used to say that the Thomas Waghorn Statue on Railway Street pointed to the toilets under the New Road viaduct. As a young girl, her impression of Chatham was that it was brim full of Public Houses.
Rob Young and Elsie – Pentagon Shopping Centre, Chatham. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Christopher TippingOne of our brilliant badge-makers working with Xtina Lamb. Pentagon Shopping Centre. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Christopher Tipping‘These are our Streets’ – Postcards handed out at the Pentagon Shopping Centre. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Christopher Tipping
WE HAVE THE POSTCARDS !
…and we wore the T Shirts! Chatham Placemaking Project. Pentagon Shopping Centre. Image: Christopher Tipping
AND WE WORE THE T SHIRTS !
Very grateful to Shelly Goldsmith, Senior Lecturer in Fashion Textiles: Print at UCA Rochester for producing the shirts for us at very short notice !
Some enthusiastic badge-makers ! Pentagon Shopping Centre. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Christopher TippingBadges made at our Pentagon Shopping Centre workshop day. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Christopher TippingChatting about Chatham’s History at the Pentagon Shopping Centre. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Rob YoungPhotographs of Chatham past and present helped to jog memories and start conversations. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Rob YoungPhotographs of Chatham past and present helped to jog memories and start conversations. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Rob Young
Chatham Placemaking Project – Draft artwork for Chatham Up Magazine. Image & Artwork: Christopher TippingChatham Placemaking Project – Still image from an episodic film series by Simon Williams & Rob Young with additional graphics by Xtina Lamb.The Fish Finger – by Rob Young. Chatham Placemaking Project.Draft page for print proposal. Text by Rob Young – Still Images from documentary film by Simon Williams. Chatham Placemaking Project.‘Is This You’, Draft Page layout – Chatham Placemaking Project. Artwork: Christopher Tipping – Text by Rob Young – Photograph by kind permission of Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre.
The Chatham Placemaking Projectappointed 3 artists for the temporary programme – it feels anything but temporary to me as all the artists are contributing massively to the project and their individual and collective output in terms of film, writing and graphics has been creative, original and has added to my perception and understanding of this project – of Chatham – and how we relate to this community as well as our client Medway Council. It is an exciting time for me – & hopefully for Rob, Xtina and Simon too.
Simon and Rob have already engaged independently with the local community – calling in at shops and offices along our route down Railway Street and Military Road, building relationships with people. They have further collaborated on a series of short films, which explore and create a vision which underpins our project – the first of which we are hopeful will be given it’s Chatham premiere via the Big Screen this evening. Xtina is delivering the first of her print workshops on Saturday at The Pentagon Shopping Centre, which will encourage the local community to take part in simple printing techniques to explore themes around our project in words and motifs. Rob & I will be there too – collecting stories from people and hearing about their association with the town. Check out the Facebook page for more information on this event –
Xtina Lamb runs Medway Fine Printmakers from this building at Chatham Intra on Chatham High Street. Image: Christopher Tipping
Xtina Lambwas commissioned to run a series of print based workshops in ad hoc places – such as the Pentagon Shopping Centre – and also from her workshop and business premises – Medway Fine Printmakers – at Intra on Chatham High Street. She is also a graphic artist in her own right contributing to the visual language and interpretation of the project.
Xtina Lamb in her studio at Chatham Intra, Chatham. Image: Christopher Tipping – by kind permission of Xtina LambXtina Lamb’s studio at Chatham Intra, Chatham. Image: Christopher Tipping – by kind permission of Xtina LambCostume Hire Shop – Chatham High Street, Kent. Image: Christopher TippingCostume Hire Shop – Chatham High Street, Kent. Image: Christopher Tipping
One of the arches under the New Road Viaduct – aka New Cut – aka Chatham Viaduct was home to a Public Urinal & more interestingly a Barbers Shop – aka Barbers in the Bogs ! The Barber had a collection of paintings on display. Long since closed – the doors are now peeling but the memories of those who knew and used the facilities are still strong.
I am looking for images to use as part of our project – but there are some here on the Kent History Forumpage – what an amazing, slightly bizarre and interesting place. Really left me wanting to know more !
Chatham Placemaking Project – New Cut Viaduct. Image: Christopher Tipping
The far right hand arch under the viaduct – just obscured by the white van – was the door to the Public Urinal and Barbers.
Chatham Placemaking Project – New Cut Viaduct & Public Urinal & Barbers – Image: Christopher TippingChatham Placemaking Project – New Cut Viaduct & Public Urinal & Barbers – Image: Christopher TippingChatham Placemaking Project – New Cut Viaduct & Public Urinal & Barbers – Image: Christopher Tipping
The Chatham Placemaking Project is now on Facebook ! Profiles of the project team artists can be viewed and updates of works in progress and new images will be posted at regular intervals. Perhaps you could let us know what you think and support the project.
Chatham Placemaking Project – ‘These are our Streets’. Image: Simon Williams and Rob Young.
I was appointed as Lead Artist back in September 2015. We have now appointed three artists to work on a 6 months art programme running from March to August 2016. The artists are – Writer Rob Young, Printmaker Xtina Lamb and FilmMaker Simon Williams. Although each artist has a specific brief, we are working collaboratively to ensure that the creative outcomes can inspire and influence the permanent public realm works, which are due to be on site from early in 2017. The project is hugely exciting !
Rob came up with this quirky set of Lego figure to represent the artists !
Chatham Placemaking Project Artists ! Image: Rob Young
There are many ways in which the Chatham Placemaking Project can communicate with the local community. Large scale visuals can be really effective – such as these mock-up ideas drafted onto a series of primesight billboardson Railway Street.
The Chatham Big Screen too would provide a great opportunity for us, as we could post film and moving images as well as sound.
Chatham Patterns – Mock-up artworks have been used on these primesight billboards on Railway Street Chatham to illustrate the kind of work we could take into the community. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image by Project Lead Artist Christopher TippingChatham Patterns – Mock-up artworks have been drafted onto these primesight billboards on Railway Street Chatham to illustrate the kind of work we could take into the community. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image by Project Lead Artist Christopher TippingThe BIg Screen, Chatham. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image by Project Lead Artist Christopher TippingChatham Patterns – Chatham Placemaking Project. Image by Project Lead Artist Christopher Tipping. Historic Dockyards ChathamChatham Patterns – Railway Street Chatham. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image by Project Lead Artist Christopher TippingThe BIg Screen, Chatham. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image by Project Lead Artist Christopher TippingChatham Pattern – Chatham Historic Dockyard. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image by Project Lead Artist Christopher TippingChatham Historic Dockyard. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image by Project Lead Artist Christopher TippingChatham Patterns – Chatham Historic Dockyard. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image by Project Lead Artist Christopher Tipping
These are a few images taken from the Creative Scope work I am doing. These are my artworks / draft plans, created to promote the creative concept.
Chatham Creative Scope – draft artwork and concept development by project artist Christopher Tipping. Image: Christopher Tipping
Concept
The Lead Artist proposes that these historic, physical and social influences will be experienced in the pedestrian journey from the Railway Station, via Railway Street and Military Road to Riverside. It is proposed that this concept approach may manifest itself as an evolving linear narrative, drawn out from within the pavements and pedestrian areas associated with the route. Referencing the nearby Chatham Lines, this new Town Line could demonstrate a series of distinct, yet inter-related events, thresholds and experiences along its course. As interpretive interventions, they will evoke a narrative of resonant references to Chatham itself, becoming a part of the fabric of the street. Where the Chatham Lines were built as defensive structures, this new line will be resolutely ‘enabling’.
The Historic Dockyard is inextricably tied to the social and industrial history of Chatham. It is a rich source of inspiration. Architectural forms, both robust and functional continue to influence the creative approach; some structures, such as the Slipway Sheds presenting striking abstract patterns and geometries. Vertical forests of timbers supporting vast and expansive roofs with rectangular glazing apertures, twisted askew by perspective. The Dry Docks are faced in massive blocks of close fitting granite. These materials are shaped by function, yet are hand crafted and bespoke features, imbued with a legacy of local and honed skills, surely a fitting inspiration for a contemporary streetscape here in Chatham.
Dickens writes about an enduring military presence on the streets of Chatham.
“They walked about the streets in rows or bodies, carrying their heads in exactly the same way, and doing exactly the same thing with their limbs”. “Men were only noticeable by scores, by hundreds, by thousands, rank and file, companies and regiments, detachments, vessels full for exportation”.
These closely observed characteristics, played out on the streets of Chatham until very recently, suggest that an echo of these patterns of movement and symmetric formations, displays and manoeuvres are still extant in the pavements, streets and roads of the town. Perhaps this evocative memory could be recalled in new paving finishes and interventions in the streetscene.
This creative interpretation not only brings a site-responsive and contemporary narrative to the project, but also dovetails with and adds to a strategic and deliberate approach to inherent wayfinding and placemaking, assisting and strengthening the pedestrian route and the local and visitor experience.
This concept applies to the entire Placemaking Masterplan, setting a blueprint for a programme of temporary and permanent commissions to roll out in a phased approach over the development period.
Chatham Creative Scope – draft artwork and concept development by project artist Christopher Tipping. Image: Artist’s own
Chatham Creative Scope – draft artwork and concept development by project artist Christopher Tipping. Image: Artist’s own
