alex chinneck inverts a london building near blackfriar’s bridge
all images courtesy of alex chinneck
inverting the familiar architectural scenery and narrative of southwark, london, british artist and designer alex chinneck has turned the façade of an existing building completely upside down for his latest installation ‘miner on the moon’. the public sculpture sees the exterior of a 1780s livery stable flipped, with glass-paned windows its base and rustic doors positioned its peak. aesthetically, the intervention responds to the specific function of the original site; live cattle were ferried from the rear yard to the thames for trade through a large underpass to the structure’s bottom right, a negative space which chinneck has adapted as the irregular silhouette of the two, neighboring constructions. enamel signage bearing the name ‘W. H. willcox & co ltd’ has been appropriated from the now-bygone company, whose store was once situated just a few minutes away. both juxtaposing and synthesizing with its surrounding, chinneck explains that, ‘I wanted to create an artwork that offered spectacle, but was simultaneously subtle and by using the material and architectural language of the district the artwork has the ability to disappear into its environment without dominating it.’
the upside down building occupies a busy junction
‘miner on the moon’ flipped upside down
the public sculpture sees the exterior of a 1780s livery stable flipped
a passerby looks at the installation
enamel signage has been appropriated from a former company ‘W. H. willcox & co ltd’
glass-painted windows are at the base and doors are positioned at the peak
negative space has been adapted as the irregular silhouette of the two neighboring sites
the facade of the structure, upside down
the project was built in partnership mace group. other supporters and sponsors include tate, better bankside, ibstock brick, norbord, euroform, eurobrick, k-rend, kingspan, lyons annoot, benchmark scaffolding, dhesi and urban surface protection.
