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ABOUT.
The social housing next to Wycombe Retail Park suffered from several negative issues including a shabby gloomy entrance and undercroft, with low ceilings and oppressive pillars.
Decreate and TVH consulted with Millgate residents for ideas and concepts.
The whole site is one of Wycombe’s former celebrated Paper Mills along the River Wye with a fascinating history, and so this theme won out.
There is also an existing sculpture nearby which was commissioned by the Retail Park when it was built in 2007 and the new artwork would link to this.
I researched images & writings with The Bucks Free Press and Wycombe Museum, utilising the earliest recorded photos of mill workers in the designs so as to celebrate the local people, industries and the environment.
Old to new. Paper, digital… *glitch* CurrysPC World is next door…
Production commenced and public reaction was overwhelming. Lots of residents remember the Mill and shared their memories; some even had family connections to the actual workers in the photos. They were thrilled that everyday people were being celebrated.
The background landscape was painted ‘live’ from the view of Deangarden wood which overlooks the site.
The local press reported on the wall painting just before completion:
The information board itself was also produced by Decreate. We wrote the copy, licensed the photos, sketched & painted three illustrations, designed layout, printed 2 metres by 80cm (to 6mm Alubond) and installed.
detail illustration:
THE RESULT:
Thank you to Jonathon Buck & Mark Leahy @ Thames Valley Housing, production assistant Tom Webb, all the residents, and local peoples.
