A collaboration between two MA Creative Practice students, Maisie Baker and Midge Ryall, has been installed at 4 Wellington Place.
The artwork was the third instalment in the ‘Artist’s Window’ series, a project by Developer and Asset Manager MEPC in partnership with Leeds Arts University.
Inspired by the Japanese collaborative poetry genre, Renga, #STRANGEBRICKS combines poetic fragments with photographs of the city, exploring themes of loss and strength. Viewers are encouraged to add their own lines to the poem, sharing images and ideas using the hashtag #STRANGEBRICKS
Image: #STRANGEBRICKS by Maisie Baker and Midge Ryall. Image courtesy Bevan Cockerill and Wellington Place.
Speaking of their installation, Maisie and Midge, said: “We were both over the moon to have been chosen to display this work at Wellington Place. Through sharing via social media, we hope the piece will become a digital body of work with a life of its own, encouraging others to add their own lines to the poem. Our goal was to create something that could serve as a source of comfort for the inhabitants of Leeds, and a reminder of the importance of community in times of loneliness. We think it’s important for businesses to build community responsibility and providing a platform for local artists is a great way to do this.”
Dominique Simcox, Head of Customer Experience at MEPC, added: “The Artist’s Window series has been hugely popular across the Wellington Place development, and we know that Maisie and Midge’s design is going to be a great addition. We absolutely love the design and the inspiration behind it. This artwork is completely different to the previous winners so we’re excited for the public to engage with the it.”
Image: Artist Maisie Baker outside #STRANGEBRICKS. Image courtesy Bevan Cockerill and Wellington Place.