North Cross Road sub station - art installation

[computedshorty]

?

[*Bob*]

I've been inspired by the existing proposal..

Couldn't we have a giant Excel Spreadsheet, upon which residents could plot the course of house prices, with a can of red spray paint?

Living art, if you will. That'll be ?2800, please.

[PeckhamRose]

I just had scrabble on my mind.

I agree, the designs are very unimaginative.

[katie1997]

tomdhu Wrote:

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> Absolute waste of money.

>

> A hair-brained idea if ever there was one

> -especialy in these difficult economic times.

>

> There are many more pressing needs to be met -

> such as repairing the huge number of new pot holes

> in the roads in E.D. caused by the recent frost

> damage.

>

> Come up with more of these silly ideas and you

> certainly won't get many votes next time there is

> an election.

Sorry to be negative but I have to almost fully concur with this too. The trouble with some of the liberal policies are that they sound great in an idealistic world but this sadly reminds me why I don't vote for them. I am sure they DO a lot of good work but this just illustrates nonsense and a waste of money. You will never ever please everyone with any public art installation so good luck with the public consultation.

I also agree with Sue - i walk past there everyday and have never seen graffiti so wonder how much this would 'save'. the planting idea is a lovely one with clear benefits IMO.

[ruffers]

Sue Wrote:

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> JBARBER Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Woah.

> > Every year the council spends money removing

> > graffiti from this wall.

>

> xxxxxxxx

>

> Really? I pass it virtually every day as I live

> just off North Cross Road. Don't mean to

> disbelieve you but I don't recall ever having seen

> any graffiti on it?

Efficient aren't they?

[James Barber]

The service typically removes graffiti within 24hours.

Equally, I personally love the idea of green walls.It will be interesting to see what people say.

I recall the Goose Green roundabout. It never occurred to me a palm tree but that's what people wanted and its rather grown on me.

[Sue]

I don't think they voted for a palm tree, as I recall they had a few options including sculpture - thank God we didn't get that - and most people (including me) voted for a tree.

Someone at the council then decided a palm tree would fit in with East Dulwich's Victorian past.

I didn't like it until I found out why they'd planted it but once I understood the background I did :)

However I don't think anyone could persuade me to like vinyl flowers .....

[flapjackdavey]

Sue Wrote:

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> Bit boring, isn't it.

>

> Sorry artist.

yeah .. I mean , is that it ?? (td)

Woah.

> > Every year the council spends money removing

> > graffiti from this wall.

graffiti would probably look a lot better IMO , sorry.

[Sue]

Yeh, East Dulwich could be nurturing the next Jean-Michel Basquiat.

[SimonM]

North-facing wall = climbing hydrangea

But I suppose it would get nicked...

[Sue]

SimonM Wrote:

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> North-facing wall = climbing hydrangea

>

> But I suppose it would get nicked...

xxxxxxx

Nah, not suitable, not evergreen I think, though very lovely :)

[SeanMacGabhann]

What a fantastic british response to a particularly ugly wall and suggestions to tart it up

Whilst I like the idea of covering it and enjoyed the joke re: using excel, is it THAT hard for people to just live a little? It's possible to travel around this world and see everything from vibrant murals to minimalist designs (a la this one) but as soon as you come back to England, urban living is just one big "meh" because people would rather say no and cry "liberal policies"! (I mean for F*** sake!!!)

I don't LOVE any of the designs and I'm no good myself at design, but I sure would prefer any of them to what's there at the moment

[Ted Max]

Yeah. Brits out (of minor public art planning decisions)!

[ruffers]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> What a fantastic british response to a

> particularly ugly wall and suggestions to tart it

> up

>

> Whilst I like the idea of covering it and enjoyed

> the joke re: using excel, is it THAT hard for

> people to just live a little? It's possible to

> travel around this world and see everything from

> vibrant murals to minimalist designs (a la this

> one) but as soon as you come back to England,

> urban living is just one big "meh" because people

> would rather say no and cry "liberal policies"! (I

> mean for F*** sake!!!)

>

> I don't LOVE any of the designs and I'm no good

> myself at design, but I sure would prefer any of

> them to what's there at the moment

What he said.

I quite like the first one as it goes. Also, given the way the wall is, I reckon something good could be done with quite directional lighting and shadows for the night time.

[Ted Max]

Perhaps a projection of half a dozen 20ft high policemen and a couple of spaniels in "StayWarm" booties onto the wall?

[sophiesofa]

Am I the only one who quite likes it just the way it is?

[Mark]

Am I the only one thinking ?2,200 for 44 diabond vinyl art squares!?! Let me know if you want them cheaper.

[5imon]

alternatives:

- massive led display of current RBS stock price

- big television constantly on and tuned to QVC

- montage of b&w athena posters, kittens in wellies etc

- climbing wall

- scrolling stephen fry twitter feed

- that punching wall on Wipe-out

[*Bob*]

Mark Wrote:

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> Am I the only one thinking ?2,200 for 44 diabond

> vinyl art squares!?! Let me know if you want them

> cheaper.

It's the design that costs the money, Mark. The ideas.

Though personally I think if you really do want something that looks like was designed by local primary school children (circa 1974) it seems a bit mean not to at least ask them in the first place.

[*Bob*]

And the criticism RE using Excel is duly justified.

How anyone can contemplate pitching for/doing this sort of work seriously but not manage to put-together a basic 'this is what it would look like' type shot on their computer is just.. poor.

[Green Goose]

Piffle.

The most effective deterrent is to have the graffiti removed as soon as possible. Within 24 hours. The graffiti 'artists' get totally peed-off it their work is swiftly obliterated. Their time, effort and investment have been totally wasted if it's no longer there for them and their mates to marvel at. That?s when they give up.

To reduce the cost to the council, the ones to remove it should be those who have been sentenced to community service.

Fixing the pot holes, as suggested, is much better use of our money. I suggest James you have a look at Matham Grove and other streets off LL. The potholes there are developing fast and there's an urgent need to do something.

It appears that some councillors have failed to appreciate the need to maintain existing infrastructure - like the roads - hence the road surfaces became vulnerable to frost damage which leads on to pot holes. Instead you want to splash tax money on a totally needless arty farty project that isn?t even art.

The sooner you are off the council the better.

[sophiesofa]

How about approaching a local(ish) college or university students and set them a competition brief with a prize of say ?200 and the winning concept can spend up to ?300 on material and installation etc. I'm still concerned as to who "designed" it because I'm not convinced it was an artist or designer.

[Jeremy]

Green Goose Wrote:

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> The sooner you are off the council the better.

Bit harsh, to say the least...

[ayresc]

What I like is the fact that the coucnil would like to do something here. This is a great opportunity to develop some form of identity.

North Cross Road is or has the potential to be one of London's hidden gems, you just need to look at Columbia Road for inspiration. Columbia Road has a pretty clear identity, developed over time by stall holders and miniimal interference from the council.

The council should ideally engage some fairly progressive and respresentative poeple from the community to develop a brief which could be responded to by some of London's great creative talent... not a council contractor?

[sophiesofa]

I don't think the cleaner, greener, safer allocation of money is meant for things like potholes etc but I may be wrong. I think it's a great scheme in general.

I think James Barber is trying his hardest to get issues raised on this forum resolved. For the record I don't know who I'm going to vote for yet.

southwark cleaner green safer link