'Bird Gates' 2017. Galvanized blue painted gates for The Old Stable House London. (Upper half)
The initial artwork that I am proposing for the green space next to the Keir Hardie Primary School is a large-scale steel sculpture that represents a set of organic lungs.
One might think this a strange choice of subject matter for Canning Town but in fact it holds subtle references to Keir Hardies' life and also to the regeneration of this long- neglected area of East London.
Having visited the site on numerous occasions, it is evident that this regeneration scheme is like a breath of fresh air for this area - bringing in new energy, new work and new enterprise. It is revitalizing and refreshing the community.
The lungs are also a symbol of Keir Hardies first job in the mining industry, which later led to his career in politics. At the tender age of just 10 years old, Keir worked as a 'trapper' at a mine near his home in Newarthill, Lanarkshire.