Four distinguished artists commissioned by MK Council and MK Gallery with funding from Arts Council England have been invited to make public art in response to the iconic Porte Cocheres and covered walk ways in Central Milton Keynes.
Three of the artists will be at MK Gallery on Wednesday evening (Nov 4) for a talk timed to coincide with the installation of their new works in the city centre.
David Batchelor, Sam Jacob and Will Nash will be In Conversation with Rebecca Heald, a curator and Royal College of Art lecturer, providing a unique insight into their respective practices, and the ideas that lie behind their latest, sculptural installations.
David Batchelor’s Chromocochere is a vertical, 3 metre diameter ring faced in low energy LEDs sited above a Porte Cochere next to MK Gallery at the eastern end of Midsummer Boulevard.
At any one time that it is viewed, the ring will be a single intense colour. Over the course of an hour the ring passes through the full colour spectrum, functioning as a kind of colour clock.
Will Nash’s Mkportal is inspired by the modern minimal aesthetic of the commercial centre of Milton Keynes and converts pedestrian underpass 85382H (beneath the junction of Midsummer Boulevard and Saxon Gate) into a hall of mirrors.
The passer-by is surrounded with multiple reflected images of the self.
Sam Jacobs’ MK Menhir is a 1:1 scale replica of a standing sarsen stone from the Avebury stone circle. The “stone”, fabricated in hard-coated foam and painted in an iridescent finish, will sit above a Porte Cochere, like a sculpture on a plinth.
Michel De Broin’s Tortoise is a model of 300 mini Porte Cocheres. The artwork builds on the concept of the porte cochere (covered walkways) as protection from the weather and the Roman ‘tortoise formation’ in battle.
“Prominently sited at this end of Midsummer Boulevard David Batchelor’s ‘Chromocochere’ is a work that will be enjoyed by thousands of Theatre and Gallery visitors, motorists and pedestrians for years to come," said MK Gallery director Anthony Spira.
"We are delighted to have worked with MK Council to deliver this offsite commission from David, and to have lent support and advice in the delivery of the other commissioned artworks.
"One of our main aims as an organisation is to connect artists with audiences, so we are delighted to offer this opportunity for people to meet and hear David, Sam and Will talk about their work in response to Milton Keynes’ unique public realm.”
Admission to the free event is by pre-bookable tickets, available from the gallery’s website at www.mkgallery.org.
