Writing’s on the wall: Tim Easley is one of the artists adding a splash of colour to ‘otherwise dull’ and run-down Croydon town centre
STEVEN DOWNES on the latest efforts by Westfield to make up for more than a decade of development blight
After a 12-year wait, Westfield has finally started constructing something in Croydon town centre.
Nothing as substantive, or as lasting, as any bricks and mortar towards the long-promised £1.4billion regeneration of the Whitgift Centre and Centrale shopping malls, where delays have caused significant development blight for businesses and residents.
But at the end of last week, hoardings began to be placed around the Allders building along North End, all decked out in colourful, specially commissioned street art, by artists including Rich Simmons, Alec Saunders and Bareface.
Meanwhile…: Rich Simmons’ pop art style is familiar around Croydon
It is part of a Let’s Do London Better campaign, and the hoardings follows a bit of a clean-up of the long-neglected Allders fascia. The hoardings are expected to remain in place “while essential works take place”.
Laura Nevill, the founder of Let’s Do London Better, has “curated a selection of five local artists and commissioned each to create an artwork which showcases and celebrates Croydon and its culture”.
According to Nevill, “Each artist has interpreted what they love about Croydon in their own style, creating a huge artistic showcase right in the town centre.”
Alongside each artwork, designer Alex Hill has created an animation which pops up when the QR code on the hoarding is scanned.
Nevill said, “The Let’s Do London Better campaign is working to transform public spaces with work by emerging artists.
“Since launching we have offered over 30 emerging artists paid opportunities to have their work showcased in large formats across the city.” It is understood that the Croydon works have been paid for by the developers, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, rather than from any public funds.
Nevill says that the intention has been to transform “otherwise dull public spaces… into a wonderful public art installation”.
Second glance: shoppers in Croydon town centre might not have too many shops to visit, but Alec Saunders’ art’s good
Simmons’ Roy Lichtenstein-inspired pop art will be familiar to Croydon residents from his previous contributions in earlier street art exhibits around the Nestlé Tower and town centre, often featuring reflective glasses, and including Batman kissing Superman, as well as the poignant Princess Diana in the Surrey Street water tower.
Simmons no longer lives in Croydon.
His former home, on Wellesley Road, which was bedecked with one of his own works, has been demolished by developers. Has anyone ever done an artisitic representation of irony writ large?
“It’s nice to still have a little impact and use my art to make people smile, even if I’m not there anymore,” Simmons told Inside Croydon.
Of his new work outside Allders, Simmons said, “This style of pop art, comic book girl, is an evolution of previous work I have done with girls in glasses reflecting famous artworks.
“I wanted to do something that represented the diversity of Croydon which is why its the same template of a woman repeated but with different features, skin tones and expressions to show that everyone there is different but they’re all united by the experience of living in Croydon.
“Having the different locations in the glasses makes you feel like you’re experiencing the town through each of their reflections and going on a journey with them.
“Let’s hope, while its up, it inspires others who see it and creates some dialogue about Croydon and equality.”
Simmons’ work can be viewed on his website, www.richsimmonsart.com.
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