Blackburn skateboard

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This was a project in which I worked closely with Chris Plowman, artist, in 2005. It involved making features for play and sports areas; and involved Groundwork Blackburn, Capita Symonds and Blackburn and Darwin BC. The project was funded by the Barclays Spaces for Sport.
As well as spending several months making all the artwork in our studios we spent many hours travelling by car and van to Blackburn to visit sites, schools and a youth club and finally to install the work.
Chris used children’s drawings, brilliantly transforming them into panels, archways and gates for the play areas. I also used their imagery for the Manxman marker-post in much the same way as I had done years earlier in West Cumbria; overlooking the Blackburn Rangers FC I used their blue and white team colours. I also made a 1.5 meter long seat/skate-board for a truncated skate park on the same site.
Resulting from meetings and demands from a local youth club for a shelter to hang out in, I made them one that they managed to vandalise around Christmas time 2005. On a happier note have a look at the local Manxman lads on the skateboard, one of my favourite artworks!