An ephemeral installation piece by Wen de Wort.
Sponsored by Wandsworth Cycling Campaign
Wandsworth cyclists were invited in early November 2004 to a [not-very-] private web-view of a new piece of ephemeral installation art in central Wandsworth as a 'fringe' contribution to Wandsworth Arts Festival.
*** Virtual wine & nibbles were provided ***
The artwork is in two parts. Study I (on the east side of Garratt Lane, just outside Sainsbury's) shows a shoe hanging from a pedestrian guard rail. Study II (on the west side of Garratt Lane) shows the matching shoe of the pair similarly located. Both shoes are overhanging a Council-installed sign which instructs people: 'Please do not secure your bikes to these railings'.
(Click on an image to see it full-size.)
Small Steps Study I
164 KB
Small Steps Study II
123 KB
Visual artist Wen de Wort explains, "My artwork is meant to symbolise the community severence caused by motor vehicles on Garrratt Lane. The right hand shoe (Study I) is severed from its natural partner, the left hand shoe (Study II). We take this severence for granted, seeing railings and divisive highways as part of the natural order, part of the normal street furrniture of our towns and cities, rather than as an expression of the dominance of fast, dangerous, smelly things. Bicycles are the answer to all our problems - and yet here we see the heggemony of motor vehicles worshipped to the nth degree. On either side of Garrratt Lane - as the supermarket advertising tells us - cars are welcomed and encouraged even though they cause so much damage to people and the environment. Yet my bike takes little space and even that is begruged by Wandsworth Council."
Excellent! One 'g' in hegemony, by the way, in case you're sending this as a press release to the Borough News. (SO)
Brilliant! Very cool. I do like the guerilla virtual press release idea. Is it going to be sent to Sainsbury's too? (BE)
Thanks for this. (VC)
Imaginative and economic in their selection of materials, they make a pointed study of bicycle parking facilities. (WW)
