Deptford X worked with Lewisham Education Arts Network (LEAN) to commission new pieces of artwork to be exhibited on the sides of the London Borough of Lewisham’s refuse trucks. The artist Bridget Lycett-Smith worked with 60 year 6 & 7 pupils from Prendergast Vale College to create Beneath the Surface, a series of large scale artworks inspired by the decorative in Deptford. Four artworks were selected to be placed on Lewisham refuse trucks and can be seen around the borough during Deptford X and beyond.
BENEATH THE SURFACE
Bridget Lycett-Smith with staff and pupils of Prendergast Vale College
The urban landscape of Deptford is abundant with the decorative. Participants have responded to the Deptford X lead artist’s statement by seeking out and responding to elements of decoration and pattern, and what these might symbolise in the context of their lives and the local area. Through observation, drawing and photography, they have recorded reflections, glimpses and distortions of their surroundings, taking on a new view of Deptford.
The images have all undergone a metamorphosis. Participants experimented with a variety of techniques to combine, fragment, or layer their drawings and photographs. The resulting artwork has been created to catch the eye as they travel past on the refuse trucks. But there is often more to see than first meets the eye – the designs may contain a hidden message beneath the surface: a historic reference, something personal to the participants, textures collected from Deptford, or a different way of seeing things – giving a lasting impression of each piece of work.
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