Ashford Art Shortlisted

Two artworks in Ashford have been shortlisted for a prestigious award that recognises the best pieces of public art created in the county during the past two years.

‘till the cows come home’ and ‘Breaking Boundaries’ have both been shortlisted for the Rouse Kent Public Art Award 2009 which is given biennially by Kings Hill developer Liberty Property Trust UK Ltd and Kent County Council.

Created by Cathy Streeter, ‘till the cows come home’ is a 130 metre long engraved brick and audio installation situated on the boundary wall of what was previously the Cattle Market.

It is a mixture of sounds of livestock auctions, people discussing their memories and sounds of recent events that have taken place, such as the road works and the Tour de France.

Etchings of cattle are engraved into the brickwork, like ghostly forms that have made their way to the surface of the wall.

‘Breaking Boundaries’ is part of the town’s £15 million ‘shared space’ highway scheme to achieve a greater balance between motorists and pedestrians.

The artworks were integrated into the new landscape and include ‘not a roundabout’, tree grilles, bollards and bespoke seating created by John Atkin; a 250m linear floorscape water feature by Simeon Nelson and a family of bespoke lighting columns and a lighting colour strategy by Nayan Kulkarni. The project also included a temporary work ‘The Lost 0’ by Michael Pinsky .

The work was judged by a team of professionals with significant expertise in a number of relevant fields including art in the public realm, public space design and architecture.

The panel was chaired by writer and broadcaster Janet Street-Porter, who said: “Breaking Boundaries is a great piece of urban inventiveness and ‘till the cows come home’ was also much admired as an innovative idea that has been nicely executed.”

There were 28 entries for the award and the winner will be announced at a VIP ceremony at the Kings Hill Golf Club on May 14th. Other short listed entries are ‘Plotlands’ on Seasalter Marshes, Whitstable; ‘Hei People’ at various sites in Gravesham, Medway and Swale and ‘]AND HERE’ in North Kent.

To be eligible to enter the award the works had to be made for, and sited, in a public space in the county of Kent to which the public has free access; be the work of a professional artist; have been completed between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2009; and highlight the important contribution of commissioned artworks to quality public spaces and to place-making.

Media Release 0141/09
07/05/2009