Back in August, we were delighted to welcome the Care Contractors to the ERO Searchroom to explore the records of the Basildon Development Corporation. In this guest post, they tell us about their work and how the archives have helped them.
We are a newly formed art collective called Care Contractors, interested in public art, its maintenance, commissioning, and fabrication. Our members are Emma Edmondson (sculptor, educator and organiser), Lu Williams (artist, publisher), Shaun C. Badham (sculpture, artist, technician) and Laura Whiting (designer, researcher). Our first project commissioned by Creative Basildon is to develop a pilot cultural trail and community engagement for public art in Basildon that will take place this autumn.
Publicity photograph, opening ceremony of Wendy Taylor’s Armillary Sundial (1989) part of the Roundacre Improvement Scheme. Wendy Taylor is shown standing in front of the stainless steel sculpture with Harry Bacon and Gordon Roberts from the Commission for New Towns (catalogue ref: A8287 box 4)
As part of our research we want to understand how early public artworks were commissioned by the Basildon Development Corporation, what funds were allocated and how conversations between artists and government officers unfolded. To prepare for our visit to Essex Record Office, we were introduced by Alina Congreve of New Jerusalems to archivist Victoria West for an initial video call. This helped to plan our research day, as the collection features an enormous 1,065 boxes of Basildon Development Corporation material.
One box (from accession A8287 box 4) containing letters, papers and publicity material from the administrative department proved really useful for our research: photos of the iconic Mother and Child (1962) fountain being built in Maurice Lambert’s studio (that for a time was also the Basildon logo); photographs of the bronze Homer (1961) by Frederick Edward William in Brooke House, now sadly missing; along with photos of the opening ceremony of Wendy Taylors’ Armillary Sundial (1989) attended proudly by the Commission for New Towns officials Harry Bacon and Gordon Roberts. As we looked through the materials some common questions arrived – what plans were put in place for maintenance? Who is responsible for this work? And what might be a sustainable vehicle to undertake this today?
From looking through promotional brochures in A8389 box 3 the role public art played in attracting new business, residents and shoppers was very apparent. Basildon produced its own district guides, commonly featuring well-loved artworks such as Pussiewillow III (1981) by Rowland Emett outside Savacentre (now ASDA) on its cover. We wondered what would be the equivalent today? And the contemporary role public art plays in promoting the town.
Booklet: Welcome to the District, published by Basildon Council, No date, estimate 1982, cover featuring a crowd admiring the newly installed Pussywillow III sculpture (catalogue ref: A9389 Box 3)
Booklet: Welcome to the District, published by Basildon Council, No date, estimate 1982, aspirational quote set against photograph of Mother and Child Fountain (1962) Maurice Lambert, and Keay House (now Southgate House) in the Background before remodelling (catalogue ref: A9389 Box 3)
With our project we had already decided to focus on the work of Wendy Taylor for its hybrid approach to public realm design. Still innovative today, Taylor’s approach was feminist, pedestrian and cycle focused; her designs wove together a series of roundabouts and underpasses at the Eastern and Western gateways to the town centre. Commissioned by the Development Corporation, The Roundacre Improvement Scheme Underpasses (1985-90) were designed to increase safety with curved walls that prevented attackers from pressing their victims up against the sides, and coloured patterned tiles specified for their light reflective qualities, as seen with The Avenue of Trees underpasses. Since 2013, these underpasses have been left with half the tiles removed after the installation of new lighting. Now under the care of Essex County Highways, since the disbanding of the Development Corporation, advocating for their repair is a more complex task.
Amongst the archive photos, we rediscovered the currently overgrown sculptural letters of Taylor’s Compass Bowl (1980) at Southernhay / Long Riding. Understanding the original intention of these environmental works could, for example, inform instructions given to gardening teams today, and reinject the meaning to this unique outdoor sunken ‘room for contemplation’. We also found photos of another currently underloved artwork – Taylor’s Animal Fesco Underpass, completed in Phase II of the Roundacre improvement works connecting Gloucester Park and what was previously a boating lake and public swimming pool. Its sloped sides are just steep enough to climb if you have good shoes, it encourages you to scramble over the silhouettes of life size animals cast with dyed concrete. Common across public art in New Towns is its availability to be climbed and played on, and intentionally or not, concrete of all textures has proved useful over time, which might not be the most ecological material choice today, but is nonetheless easy to maintain.
As Basildon reaches its 75th year, we can reflect on the generosity, co-ordination and ambition of the late stages of the Development Corporation projects. With new redevelopment plans afoot, what opportunities may arise for thoughtful and sensitive new infrastructure? How will public art be integrated, and most importantly who will care for, clean and curate it? Through our project we will be establishing conversations with residents, council officers, shoppers, festival goers, artists and commissioners with what new forms of artworks are relevant today, and who does the work of care in a time and cash poor society?
Photograph, year unknown, Wendy Taylor’s Compass Bowl (1980) at Southernhay / Long Riding roundabout showing directional floor paving and angular raised planters and stylised compass letters (catalogue ref: A8287)
Colour photograph showing present day Compass Bowl conditions, resurfaced floor, and abundant vegetation that obscures stylized lettering. Members of Care Contractors Art Collective Lu Williams, Poly (dog) and Shaun C. Badham in the mouth of the tunnel (credit Emma Edmonsdson, 2024)
You can follow the Care Contractors on Instagram here: www.instagram.com/care_contractors/
For full list of public activities and events please see: creativebasildon.co.uk/care-contractors/
You can find our more about the New Jerusalems project here: www.newjerusalems.info/ and follow on Instagram here: www.instagram.com/new.jerusalems/
Essex Record Office has two guides to the Basildon and Harlow Development Corporations records: Guide to help you start exploring the New Town Development Corporation Records and Harlow and Basildon in the Essex Sound and Video Archive