WEMBLEY ART TRAIL

Scale

I think not all artworks we have seen fit well in the surroundings, sometimes it is because they are not big enough or sit too low, so the attention is not drawn to them, they are a bit lost in the surroundings (for example, Tilia Tree Totems by Stephen Stockbridge) However, there are also pieces that seem to be too big as well - it is hard (or impossible) to see them fully, which also kind of makes the artwork lost (Beton Ginnel Mural by MUZEO) My favourite work in terms of scale was by Mr.Doodle, I think that the blocks he used really took over the space and guided the visitors.

Materials

tiles
digital art displayed on the screens (to show the moving image, changes. might get overlaid with advertisements :( )
graffiti on blocks, walls, floor
printed photographs
wood (rather organic feeling, contrasting with the surroundings)
vinyl stickers on the stairs (allows to put a very big image on a "difficult" surface)
oil on canvas
interactive piece - light-based canvas

Audio

I think audio would bring more attention to some pieces - for example, the e-motion bridge by Sofia Chianchiulli, that might be very easily looked over, because it appears after advertising videos and switches every 60 seconds. If there was any unusual sound - people would more easily notice this art piece.

My favourite piece

My favourite works were 2 interactive pieces by Jason Bruges.

"Royal Wave" - "Royal Wave is a site-specific artwork inspired by the journeys in and out of the stadium that historically were celebrated by audiences lining the edges of the routes. As the crowds approach the underpass from the southerly or northerly direction they are greeted by a scaled and bespoke lenticular wave generated from portraits of local people and the observer’s movement in relation to it. A parametric algorithm was used to evaluate the frames of movement from a photoshoot with local community members, photographed by Amanda Rose from Amanda Rose Photo. The lenticular formatting was inspired by the photography of Eadweard Muybridge, and developed with a unique understanding from the site and analysis of the vistas leading up to the underpass. The fifteen upcycled signage panels have been repurposed as a dynamic piece that brings the local participants to the artwork" (Wembley Art Trail website)

"Shadow Wall" - "Conceived by internationally renowned artist and designer Jason Bruges, Shadow Wall is a site-specific monochromatic, interactive media artwork focused on the eastern elevation of the Royal Route underpass, where the shadows and silhouettes of the crowds passing through the space generate the resultant artwork. The canvas is light sensitive and with a multitude of shadows overlaying creates a palimpsest effect on the surface. The slotted metallic facade references the ebb and flow of the crowds entering and departing Wembley Park, which is reminiscent of the way in which the royal family arrived in procession" (Wembley Art Trail website)

I think both in both works the artist reflected deeply on the theme of the Art Trail called "Figures of Change" and explored changes, metamorphoses happening with people when we move. It was interesting to interact with these pieces and they are nicely fit into the space of the park - people walk by and still become a part of this installation, making other people notice it.

My least favourite piece

To be honest, I found many of the pieces from this Art Trail rather superficial and not very well thought through.

For instance, the work "How Beautiful Change Can Truly Be" by Zoe Slatter seems to be really obvious and not standing out, it just uses a simple slogan, that is quite cliche (especially when the theme of the Trail is literally Change) and some abstract shapes that so not actually deliver the artist's message in any way, I think. Perhaps, the problem of this work is that the idea is not conveyed visually and the artist uses words to make the work meaningful, which results into it being not very unique or original.

IPMP Hybrid Forms

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