Tag Archives: Rob Young

Chatham Placemaking Project – SEATING Part One

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: A Face in the Elm, Christopher Tipping

 

Draft sketches for timber seating elements for Chatham by Andrew Lapthorn, January 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

Lower Railway Street, Chatham. Monolithic Granite & English Elm seating. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

I have been working in collaboration with Andrew Lapthorn Furniture  on a series of 6 monolithic granite and English Elm seats to be positioned at key anchor points within the streetscape of our Chatham Placemaking Project.

Andrew is a furniture designer and maker. He has a workshop within the Historic Dockyard Chatham. It is almost impossible to consider the historic and social fabric of Chatham without the Dockyard playing a major role. We have consulted with Nigel Howard, Historic Environment and Buildings Manager for the Dockyard throughout the project and have been granted access to their archives and buildings. They have been very generous in their support. When Nigel was made aware we were proposing to work with Andrew on the project he made a very generous gift to the project of seasoned timber, free of charge from the historic Timber Seasoning Sheds. Nigel had also generously offered us some monolithic slabs of granite, which have great historic resonance to our project, which we have unfortunately not been in a position to use as yet – but never say never !

 

Timber Stores, Historic Dockyard Chatham, July 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

Timber Stores, Historic Dockyard Chatham, July 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

Timber Stores, Historic Dockyard Chatham, July 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

Timber Stores, Historic Dockyard Chatham, July 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

Timber Stores, Historic Dockyard Chatham, July 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping

The quality of some of these images is poor I’m afraid, but the content is pretty amazing…the interiors of the seasoning sheds have an otherworldly feel about them. These buildings were erected in 1775, to provide the Admiralty with at least 3 years of timber. Andrew unearthed some massive planks of English Elm. The age of the timber was hard to discern. Andrew thinks it may have been here for decades as least. The actual tree or trees they were cut or salvaged from could have been well over a century old before felling or being toppled through the effects of storm damage.

Timber Stores, Historic Dockyard Chatham, July 2017. Image: Andrew Lapthorn.

 

As with all creative proposals, we have been through various iterations, responded to challenges and made changes along the way. The following images relate to this design and creative process and show the evolution of the work and some of the outcomes on the street.

 

Draft proposals for granite and timber seating, Chatham, 2016. Artwork: Christopher Tipping

 

In 2016, during the early concept and development stages of the project, I had proposed this series of benches as a way of exploring the relationship between the significant building materials of the Historic Dockyard and the materials and contextual ideas being explored along out project route through Chatham Town.

 

Draft proposals for granite and timber seating with Chatham Patterns, Chatham, 2016. Artwork: Christopher Tipping & Xtina Lamb

 

 

The Chatham Patterns were a significant part of our concept to develop a distinct and site specific visual language for the streetscape and our creative public realm work. I collaborated with Xtina Lamb, Printmaker on this work. In this instance, the patterns were to be sandblasted into the honed surface of the monolithic granite blocks by Hardscape.

 

Draft proposals for granite and timber seating with Chatham Patterns, Chatham, 2016. Artwork: Christopher Tipping

 

Andrew responded to these early draft ideas and we discussed incorporating traditional techniques for creating large scale joints and methods for joining and connecting timber, which would be suggestive and resonant of shipbuilding in Chatham, as well as exploring advances in technology such as laminating and bending timber. These are his drawings – & his hands…

 

Draft sketches for timber seating elements for Chatham by Andrew Lapthorn, January 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

Draft sketches for timber seating elements for Chatham by Andrew Lapthorn, January 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

Draft sketches for timber seating elements for Chatham by Andrew Lapthorn, January 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

Draft sketches for timber seating elements for Chatham by Andrew Lapthorn, January 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

Draft sketches for timber seating elements for Chatham by Andrew Lapthorn, January 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

In early November 2018, FrancisKnight and I visited Andrew at his workshop to see progress on the benches. I was blown away by the beauty and craftsmanship around me. The English Elm has the most wonderful patterns and figures in the grain. There was even half a face staring our at me. We were really so impressed. The work was solid, beautiful, resonant and robust, which is just as well as life as a street bench is tough !

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: A Face in the Elm, Christopher Tipping

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: A Face in the Elm, Christopher Tipping

 

I couldn’t resist creating a mirror image – a portrait in English Elm.

 

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

A visit to Andrew Lapthorn’s workshop in November 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

 

 

 

 

CHATHAM RAILWAY STATION

£1.4m Chatham station regeneration gets underway…

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

‘Medway Council successfully secured £700,000 from the government’s Local Growth Fund through the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) to contribute towards the £1.4m upgrade, with Network Rail match-funding the windfall through its National Station Improvement Programme’. Medway Council

This was great news to see this project being promoted on Linkedin this week by Medway Council. Following the near completion of public realm works and embedded public art along Railway Street and Military Road, including New Cut, St John’s Steps and Military Square, Chatham Railway Station is now about to undergo its long awaited regeneration too, at the head of our works as part of the Chatham Placemaking Project.  

I made one of the first posts about Chatham Station on this blog back in September 2015 in the very early stages of our research and contextual work on the project. Click on this link for more information

Chatham Railway Station 2015. Image: Christopher Tipping
Chatham Railway Station 1910. Historic Image: by kind permission of Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre
Chatham Railway Station – Date unknown. Historic Image: Copyright of and by kind permission of Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre – Couchman Collection
Chatham Railway Station – Date unknown. Image: Copyright and by kind permission of Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre – Couchman Collection.

 

Many draft proposals and developments of conceptual and contextually based responses to the site were developed and considered. The final detailed designs for public art interventions were presented to Medway Council and their partners Network Rail in January 2018. This work dovetails with works already carried out and continues themes and material choices and finishes established at the outset of the scheme.

The following images highlight the proposals we put forward at the beginning of 2018.

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 1. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 2. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 3. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 4. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 5. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 6. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 7. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 8. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 9. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 10. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 11. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 12. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 13. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 14. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 15. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 16. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 17. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

Creative Public Realm proposals for Chatham Railway Station – Page 18. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping
THESE ARE OUR STREETS for the Chatham Placemaking Project. Image & Artwork: Simon Williams. Lead Artist: Christopher Tipping

 

 

 

‘CHATHAM – KENT – ENGLAND’ –

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 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.
Simon Williams by the Waterfront Big Screen – showing ‘Chatham, Kent, England’. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: By Permission of Simon Williams.

Pentagon Day –

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 Tipping
Rob Young and Elsie – Pentagon Shopping Centre, Chatham. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Christopher Tipping
One of our brilliant badge-makers working with Xtina Lamb. Pentagon Shopping Centre. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Christopher Tipping
One 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
‘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!
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 Tipping
Some enthusiastic badge-makers ! Pentagon Shopping Centre. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Christopher Tipping
Badges made at our Pentagon Shopping Centre workshop day. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Christopher Tipping
Badges made at our Pentagon Shopping Centre workshop day. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Christopher Tipping
Chatting about Chatham's History at the Pentagon Shopping Centre. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Rob Young
Chatting about Chatham’s History at the Pentagon Shopping Centre. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Rob Young
Photographs of Chatham past and present helped to jog memories and start conversations. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Rob Young
Photographs of Chatham past and present helped to jog memories and start conversations. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Rob Young
Photographs of Chatham past and present helped to jog memories and start conversations. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Rob Young
Photographs of Chatham past and present helped to jog memories and start conversations. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Rob Young

 

 

 

CHATHAM UP – Ideas for Magazine layout –

Chatham Placemaking Project - Draft artwork for Chatham Up Magazine. Image & Artwork: Christopher Tipping
Chatham Placemaking Project – Draft artwork for Chatham Up Magazine. Image & Artwork: Christopher Tipping
Chatham Placemaking Project - Still image from an episodic film series by Simon Williams & Rob Young with additional graphics by Xtina Lamb.
Chatham 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.
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.
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.
‘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.

Guildhall Museum, Rochester & Rob Young, Writer

On Tuesday 3rd May, Rob Young & I had a meeting with Rachel Kerr, Project Coordinator (100 Objects That Made Kent) and the Education Officer, Jeremy Clarke at The Guildhall Museum, High Street, Rochester. We were looking to explore opportunities for us all to collaborate in some manner during the project, taking advantage of the Museum Collections cultural importance to Medway and its outreach work with the community – particularly in education and schools.

Rob is very keen to build this relationship into his commission and has already submitted a wonderful proposal for an engagement with St Michaels Roman Catholic Primary School, who are already working with the Museum on an arts award educational project, focussed on the Statue of Thomas Waghorn on Railway Street and a portrait of whom hangs in the Museum. The school is the most local to our project route. Rob is also keen to meet with The Friends of the Guildhall Museum to hear their thoughts about Chatham. Simon Lace, Medway’s Heritage Services Manager is also helping our cause by contributing a call out for stories by Friends of the Guildhall in their ‘about to be launched’ newsletter.

Thanks to all involved for your continuing help.

 

Interior stucco ceiling of the stairwell in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image by Christopher Tipping reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester
Interior stucco ceiling of the stairwell in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image: Christopher Tipping – reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester
A Portrait of Thomas Waghorn. Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image by Christopher Tipping reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester
A Portrait of Thomas Waghorn. Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image by Christopher Tipping – reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester
Ornate ceiling & Electrolier in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image: Christopher Tipping - reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester
Ornate ceiling & Electrolier in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image: Christopher Tipping – reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester
Portrait of  Sir Cloudesley Shovell, Admiral of the Fleet & MP for Rochester hanging in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image: Christopher Tipping - by kind permission of Guildhall Museum.
Portrait of Sir Cloudesley Shovell, Admiral of the Fleet & MP for Rochester hanging in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image: Christopher Tipping – reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester

Isn’t that the most amazing name – Sir Cloudesley Shovell –

Ornate ceiling, electrolier and wall decorations in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image: Christopher Tipping - by kind permission of Guildhall Museum.
Ornate ceiling, electrolier and wall decorations in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image: Christopher Tipping – reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester
Ornate ceiling & electrolier in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image: Christopher Tipping - by kind permission of Guildhall Museum.
Ornate ceiling & electrolier in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image: Christopher Tipping – reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester
Rob Young, Writer, looking at vintage photograph in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image: Christopher Tipping - reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester
Rob Young, Writer, looking at vintage photograph in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image: Christopher Tipping – reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester

Jeremy Clarke, the Museum’s Education Officer – found this image for us of a young boy taken at the Photographic Studio of  W. Kent, Photographic Artist at No 19 Military Road, Chatham – a great find for us right on our project route. I’m sure Rob will make some resonant response to this.

Photographic portrait of a young boy taken by W Kent, Photographic Artist at No 19 Military Road, Chatham - in the collection of  Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester.
Photographic portrait of a young boy taken by W Kent, Photographic Artist at No 19 Military Road, Chatham – in the collection of Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester.
Photographic portrait of a young boy taken by W Kent, Photographic Artist at No 19 Military Road, Chatham - in the collection of  Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester.
Photographic portrait of a young boy taken by W Kent, Photographic Artist at No 19 Military Road, Chatham – in the collection of Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester
Photographic portrait of a young boy taken by W Kent, Photographic Artist at No 19 Military Road, Chatham - in the collection of  Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester.
Photographic portrait of a young boy taken by W Kent, Photographic Artist at No 19 Military Road, Chatham – in the collection of Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester.
Figure in Diorama in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image by Christopher Tipping reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester
Figure in Diorama in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image by Christopher Tipping reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester
Beautiful and magical three mast rigged ship in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image by Christopher Tipping reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester
Beautiful and magical three mast rigged ship in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Image by Christopher Tipping reproduced courtesy of the Guildhall Museum, Rochester

  

Temporary Artist Commissions –

The Chatham Placemaking Project appointed 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 Lamb runs Medway Fine Printmakers from this building at Chatham Intra on Chatham High Street. Image: Christopher Tipping

Xtina Lamb was 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 Lamb
Xtina Lamb in her studio at Chatham Intra, Chatham. Image: Christopher Tipping – by kind permission of Xtina Lamb
Xtina Lamb's studio at Chatham Intra, Chatham. Image: Christopher Tipping - by kind permission of Xtina Lamb
Xtina Lamb’s studio at Chatham Intra, Chatham. Image: Christopher Tipping – by kind permission of Xtina Lamb
Costume Hire Shop - Chatham High Street, Kent. Image: Christopher Tipping
Costume Hire Shop – Chatham High Street, Kent. Image: Christopher Tipping
Costume Hire Shop - Chatham High Street, Kent. Image: Christopher Tipping
Costume Hire Shop – Chatham High Street, Kent. Image: Christopher Tipping

We are now on Facebook !

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.
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
Chatham Placemaking Project Artists !
Image: Rob Young