Julia writes:
"Go and sit on some benches in the Grainger Town area of the city, and see words by myself and glass design by Cate Watkinson.
These benches were commissioned by the Grainger Town Development Trust, and it seems to have taken ages for them to be built, but now finally, they are emerging.
The theme is obvious ... nine things you do on a bench, and each sheet of glass is supposed to look a bit like a postcard. The words are intended to be straightforward and to aim to speak to whatever human condition you might be in.
The kiss bench ... on which is written ... here's my list, go out, get kissed ... is proving very popular.
I would love to know if people like the benches. That's the trouble with public art. You never know if anyone notices it!
I hope they're not involved in too many street fights.
I've been working with Cate on various projects now. Our next commision was a window for the Port of Tyne Building at South Shields ..."
The 'Piers In' Window was installed at Navigation House, Port of Tyne in May 2002. It celebrates the colour, change, industry and general bustle, which are characteristic of the Port. Large architectural structures are important features in the Port, the cranes, the huge ships, the ship repair yards, the harbour walls. the window is designed around a crane structure. Sweeping lines bring the eye round the design representing the circular nature of trade, in and out of the Port.
Julia found inspiration for the words on glass from a boat trip with Port of Tyne staff. "Everything at the Port of Tyne is moving and changing: cargo is brought in and shipped out, and there is a continual flow of imports and exports. 'Piers in, piers out' is the phrase used to describe a ship passing the two pier points at the mouth of the Tyne. 'Top in, top out, jib in, jib out' are guiding cries between crane drivers and dockers while bringing cargo to and from holds. The phrases sound like a sea shanty, echoing a sense of shifting goods and are used all the time by those who work at the Port."
Most recently Cate asked Julia to write some text for her exhibition Shorelines at the Customs House at South Shields: "I worked for weeks on a very short poem that will be written in large letters on the wall. We both want to develop a collaborative dialogue between words and glass making, and this exhibition is a starting point rather than an end."
The exhibition was launched on 18th September at the Customs House, South Shields. Maggie Thacker entertained the crowd songs with songs also written by Julia. Our picture shows Julia with Cate.
