Media Centre

Artist Dave Sherry

Produced by National Express, implemented and managed by EC-Arts

Within the phase 1 research and development project an opportunity was identified for another artist commission, during Birmingham City Council (BCC) Planning consultation process, Simon Hodge of BCC suggested the wall of Glenn Howells Architects wall as another site for artwork. Simultaneously EC-Arts on behalf of National Express had been working in collaboration with the Irish Quarter Partnership and Birmingham Irish Forum to engage the community and young people through a series of events and consultation meetings. During the consultation period, a need was vocalised by the Irish community for a visual identity for the Irish Quarter. Work was underway with a Birmingham City Council scheme for Bradford Street (street furniture and lighting project) for the Irish Quarter; but the community had hoped to produce an iconic image to represent the Quarter, there was no additional funding available for this. EC-Arts integrated a new public art commission within ‘Digbeth Public Art Project’ for the Irish Quarter and raised funds to realise the commission with the support of numerous key people within the city (please see Project partners). This would be the first visual representation of the Irish Quarter and an important step in giving the quarter a strong visual identity. Glenn Howells Architects agreed in principle to allow the space to be used and agreed to contributing to the commission by collaborating with artist and sponsoring cash for the installation.

With the support and resources from Helen Legg at the Ikon Gallery, and the advisory group/selection panel Claire Farrell from EC-Arts produced an artist brief to call for submissions. 12 internationally renowned artists responded to the brief and artist Dave Sherry was appointed following the selection process and interview.

The concept was a text based installation, ‘a hundred thousand welcomes’ which is a famous Irish saying. Dave’s concept was simple, striking and apt working to a tight brief. The English translation of the famous saying meant that the artwork is universal, and does not exclude anyone, despite its intention to be an iconic image for the Irish Quarter. The position of the artwork is also the entrance to the new coach station.

The Site


The above image of 321 Bradford Street, north facing gable wall is the proposed site for the Irish Quarter Visual Art Commission, the entrance point for 1.5 million visitors to the city per year, and the visible from both of the main entrance points to the Digbeth from the City Centre.

Community engagement
Dave Sherry and EC-Arts worked in collaboration with Michelle Aucott and Pat O’Neil from the Irish Quarter Partnership, and Birmingham Irish Community Forum to engage the community within the design process. A community event held on the 28th May at the Irish Club in Digbeth, Birmingham was an opportunity for Dave Sherry to talk to the community about his concept and encourage participation in the form of handwriting. Dave asked members of the public to write ‘a hundred thousand welcomes’ in their own style of handwriting. The artist’s intention was to collaborate with Glenn Howells Architects to translate the handwriting chosen into 3Dimensional letters. The installation materials, size, colour and lighting were developed over 4 month’s with the artist, project team and community consultation collaboration. Please see gallery for visual images from the design development and community consultation.

Materials
Sign makers and fabricators Central Signs in Birmingham have been appointed to fabricate the artwork installation. DPAP was very excited to engage this innovative local firm, the product the artwork will be made out of is a new patented ‘Made in Birmingham’ fully recycled plastic composite, easily maintained and to clean that will be back lit and mounted on an aluminium 3D panel. Central Signs invented the new product as a result of 20 years experience in the business, and the need for recycled, sustainable products. The artwork will be the first of its kind.

Artist Statement
Artist Dave Sherry

a hundred thousand welcomes
I wanted to make an artwork that gave the biggest possible Irish welcome to people coming to Digbeth and Birmingham. This artwork will be located in a fantastic position and it is important for me to address this site. The National Express bus station is a focal point, where people arrive and leave the City. I wanted this artwork to be associated with this transition. This work is a greeting and a welcome to those returning and those who are arriving for the first time. It can also be seen from many vantage points in the City.
The origin of this phrase comes from the Gaelic ‘Cead mile failte’. This statement represents the Irish spirit for welcoming and friendliness.
This work represents the Irish contribution to the community and the Irish community itself. The artwork and the phrase are rooted in Irish culture and can be seen throughout Ireland on road signs and in pubs and restaurants. I also wanted the piece to exclude no one and have international appeal.

Community
The community day where the residents of Digbeth and Birmingham were asked to write out the phrase ‘One hundred thousand welcomes’, and was very successful. We received over sixty personal hand written artworks from people. We had a series of meetings and choose one example. The process of choosing the final persons hand writing was a democratic and fair process. We looked at all sixty examples and then choose twelve, then four and finally picked the one that everyone liked. I feel that everyone who contribution to this process made up the decision for the final work. In this way many people were involved in the process and the making of this work. My original idea was that someone from the community could look up and say, ‘that’s my handwriting’.
I took the final text by Sister Sabina and traced the outline and bulking up the text slightly. Glenn Howells Architects also tweaked and worked on the text. In this way the work became a collaboration involving many people.

Materials
We looked at many ways of making the piece. I first looked at steel, Aluminium and metal. But these materials have their problems and proved too costly, some being too heavy. I also looked at Trespa but it is a surface material that cannot be moulded to make 3 D letters.
Eventually we looked at new materials like laminated aluminium plastic. This forms the backing. The lettering are made from a man made composite called G58 which is light, durable and can be formed into the exact lettering shape we want. The precision of the fabrication process with this material means that Sister Sabina can look up at the work and say, ‘that’s my handwriting’.
Through a process of consultation and meetings we discussed the scale of the work. We also decided that the lettering would have greater impact on a backing panel. This backing panel could be coloured, setting off the letters. We had models and ‘mock up’ visuals made by Glenn Howells Architects to help with this process. We decided that a central position looked best high on the wall. The backing panel is eleven meters long by eight meters high. It has taken a lot of drawing and planning to find the right scale and position for this piece. I am really happy with how this process and outcome has defined the work.

Colour
I wanted the colour of the lettering to be white to show off the hand written style. I also think white will react well under lighting. White is the perfect colour to react off a background panel colour.
For the background panel colour I wanted to represent aspects of the Irish landscape that relate to the Irish language through place names. The colour chosen also relates to the rich industry and exposed brick buildings that typify Digbeth, and Birmingham’s Industrial heritage.
The background panel colour is reddish brown. Pantone 167C.
Many place names incorporate the Gaelic word ‘Roe’, red.
Like the river ‘Roe’ which runs from the Sperrin Mountains to Lough Foyle, Via Limavady and Myroe.
The Gaelic word ‘roe’ red as in ‘Slieve roe’ – red mountain. Is very prominent and common in many Irish place names used today through out Ireland.
‘Rua’ brownish red is the colour of many aspects of the Irish landscape from withered bracken to turf and animals like the fox ‘mada rua’.
‘Rua’ is often pronounced as ‘Roe’.
This reddish brown colour has its place firmly in Irish culture. It is strongly represented in the language and the terms ‘Roe’ or ‘Rua’ are used frequently in daily life.
The use of this colour gives a dynamic and thought provoking aspect to a colour that represents Irishness. It was important for me to look at the Irish language, place names and the landscape in finding a background colour. This colour will also relate well conceptually to the translation of the Irish Phrase.
“The background colour helps to unify the disparate treatments to the gable wall, blends well with the character of buildings and materials within the quarter, and complements the colour palette of the emerging coach station” Nigel Edmondson, Birmingham City Council

Lighting
We looked at different aspects for the lighting. Flood lighting from the front top and bottom we found to be very expensive. Lighting the work from the bottom would be hindered by numerous factors. Busses passing, the newly commissioned fence and ground building were all to be taken into account. This is why halo lighting is the best and most effective way to light the work.
Halo lighting is efficient and can be inbuilt into the lettering. This will invigorate the work at night and lift it off the background panel. Lighting this work at night gives it a new dimension and makes it exciting and interesting. In this way the work will have a second lease of life at night. In this way it will attract further attention from those who see it during the day.