River Circle
| Browse information by: Location Makers General Information Classification Object Parts Object Condition History References Photographs |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright for Photograph: Creative Commons |
Location
| Street: | Surrey Street |
| Town: | Littlehampton |
| Parish: | Littlehampton |
| Council: | Arun District Council |
| County: | West Sussex |
| Postcode: | BN17 |
| Location on Google Map | |
| Object setting: | Garden |
| Access is: | Public |
| Location note: | In a garden, next to the public car park, near to the riverbank and quay |
| In the AZ book: | West Sussex |
| Page: | 167 |
| Grid reference: | K4 |
| The A-Z books used are A-Z East Sussex and A-Z West Sussex (Editions 1A 2005). Geographers' A-Z Map Company Ltd. Sevenoaks. | |
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Makers
| Name : | John Thomson |
| Role: | Sculptor |
| Company/Group : | MJF Welding, Southampton |
| Role: | Builder |
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General Information
| Commissioned by: | Arun District Council |
| Construction period: | 2004 |
| Installation date: | 2004 |
| Work is: | Extant |
| Owner custodian: | Arun District Council |
| Object listing: | Not listed |
| Description: | Eight curved interlocking 'jigsaw' like panels welded together to form a circle that sits on an integral base and is set into a stepped, brick base. The panels have 'cut-out' representations of various marine flora and fauna. Set into the brick base is a bronze sculptural relief that depicts similar designs. |
| Iconographical description: | The cut-out figures represent studies of the marine life in the fresh and estuarine waters of the area. |
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Classification
| Categories: | Animal |
| Object type1: | Sculpture |
| Subject type1: | Figurative |
| Subject subtype1: | Group |
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Object Parts
| Part 1: | Stepped base |
| Material: | Red and grey brick |
| Height (cm): | 45 |
| Width (cm): | 420 |
| Depth (cm): | 420 |
| Part 2: | Sculpture |
| Material: | 316L Stainless steel |
| Height (cm): | 380 |
| Width (cm): | 380 |
| Depth (cm): | 210 |
| Part 3: | Panel set into base |
| Material: | Bronze |
| Height (cm): | 2 |
| Width (cm): | 170 |
| Depth (cm): | 65 |
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Object Condition
| Overall condition: | Good |
| Risk assessment: | No known risk |
| Date of on-site inspection: | 29/05/2008 |
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History
| History: | 'River Circle is a commissioned sculpture located on the River Arun. The research that underpinned it involved investigative studies of marine life in the fresh and estuarine waters in this area. The commission resulted from a government initiative to revitalise a former industrial site on the banks of the River Arun, at the point where it enters the sea at Littlehampton, West Sussex. The sculpture forms the central focus of a new square, which is part of a development that has preserved the historic buildings as well as providing new housing, a Youth Hostel and a Sea Life Centre, thereby contributing to the regeneration and economic life of Littlehampton. Together with the funding bodies SEEDA and Bellways Homes, Arun District Council ran a nationally advertised competition. I submitted a detailed proposal and maquette with associated drawings, which was selected by both the panel and local community via an exhibition of short-listed candidates. Research for the imagery was undertaken in collaboration with local and national experts in the field. The sculpture was fabricated at MJF Precision Engineering in Southampton using a 316L stainless steel, which is specified for marine and hostile environments. Structural calculations were supplied by Fast Calc of Portsmouth. Research into non-traditional sculptural materials and processes is part and parcel of my ongoing involvement in public sculpture. A series of workshops with local youth groups provided the imagery for a number of permanently installed metal panels located adjacent to the main sculpture, as well as a number of large scale printed banners for a local community centre. This part of the project was designed to inform and give 'ownership' of the work to the local community. I also gave public lectures that provided an insight into technical and aesthetic aspects of the project'.
(http://casiad.solent.ac.uk/Staff/Profiles/John%20Thomson.aspx) |
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References
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Photographs
Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
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