Norwich Daily Photo

Monday, January 21st, 2008

Wall of Fame

This is a wall at Future Radio where all the presenters and members of staff have their photo displayed. I’m right in the middle! See me?

Sunday, January 20th, 2008

Hey Miss DJ

That’s me on the left, having a chat with a guest, Daryl, on my radio show, Usapang Pinoy. If you have access to the Internet on Saturdays at 3pm (UK time), then go to Future Radio and listen online! You can even send me messages which I can read instantly on air. How about that!

Saturday, January 19th, 2008

Lounge At Night

Here you see everything - beautifully lit at night. I probably would enjoy using this seating area when the weather’s warmer.

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From Norwich City Council

A ‘living room’ for people to sit, reflect and watch the world go by has been created in Norwich’s Hay Hill.

A stunning giant brain and eye carved out of marble and 18 other pieces of sculpture by internationally acclaimed French artists Patrick and Anne Poirier have been installed on Hay Hill after months of anticipation.

Each piece is accompanied by a light and at night, they will be illuminated to create a mystical glow in the popular open space.

The unique and thought-provoking public artwork - which was primarily funded by the Arts Council - is intended as a homage to Sir Thomas Browne.

A physician, philosopher, botanist and writer, Sir Thomas lived in nearby Orford Place area and a statue of him was erected in Hay Hill on October 19, 1905, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of his birth.

He is buried in St Peter Mancroft Church where his skull had to be re-interred on July 4, 1922, after his body was accidentally dug up by workmen man years earlier. A replica is on display in the church as well as a portrait and other fascinating artefacts. There is also a display of some of his books and other manuscripts on the 2nd floor of the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library in the Forum.

The commissioning and installation of such a work in the centre of Norwich represents a major coup for the city.

Although the artists have works on display around the world, including Koblenz and Rouen - both of which are twinned with Norwich - this is their very first commission in the UK.

The sculptures were made by craftsmen in Pietrasanta, Italy, where Michelangelo used to buy stone for his work.

The project was funded by Arts Council England East, Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council and commissioned through Commissions East.

Brenda Ferris, executive member for culture for Norwich City Council, said after its installation on Tuesday: “We have been given a gift for the city and now it is the job of all of us to be the advocates of the work and we must encourage the people of Norwich to take it to their hearts, value it and look after it.

“This is a new cultural space for the city and a homage to Thomas Browne, who lived here 400 years ago. It is a living room, to sit, contemplate and eat, and kids will absolutely love it. So much of it is children’s size and will be a real asset and good addition to this historic public space.”

Patrick Poirier said he hoped that people would use the work to sit and relax whatever they thought of it.

“We don’t want to disturb the atmosphere of the place. We hope it will be a place where people will like to be - somewhere for them to stop and maybe have their lunch or perhaps read a book during the day. It is a place for discussion and debate.”

The sculptures are made of marble and granite, some polished and shiny, some rough and matt and are inscribed with quotes from Sir Thomas’s writings.

And although they may appear to be scattered randomly, they are arranged in a pattern known as a ‘quinconce’ or ‘quincunx’ - a five-pointed diamond shape which Sir Thomas wrote about in one of his works, The Garden of Cyrus.

Titles of this and other of his works are engraved on the sculptures to encourage people to find out more about the ideas and writings of Thomas Browne.

Friday, January 18th, 2008

The Lounge

This completes the picture. The brain, the eye and the beans are all next to each other and this fabulous seating area in the middle of town. I think it’s brilliant, don’t you?

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From Norwich City Council

At first glance, the work may appear to be a random collection of pieces and the large brain and an eye have left some people scratching their heads.

But the pattern formed by the marble and granite sculptures that make up the Homage to Sir Thomas Browne has been carefully conceived.

It is known as a quinconce or quincunx, a five-pointed diamond shape that the renowned philosopher and thinker believed existed throughout nature.

The shape, which occurs in astrology, astronomy, maps and architecture, was the standard tactical formation for elements of a Roman legion. It also plays a key role in modern computer graphics and is a standard pattern for planting an orchard, especially in France.

As Sir Thomas was born about 30 years before the invention of the microscope and was a medical doctor and botanist, it may be that he was making an early observation of plant and human cell structure. This diamond-shaped grid underpins the arrangement of ‘stones’ on Hay Hill.

The centre-pieces are a marble brain and an eye sculpted in a very classical way which refer to Sir Thomas’s approach to philosophy, religion and science and also form a diagonal path through the quinconce between his home in Orford Yard and St Peter Mancroft where he is buried.

Around the brain and eye are seats, benches, tables and stools made form granite. All of the pieces are made to a very high standard and are beautifully sculpted.

The artists wanted to create a ‘room’ and intend people to use the pieces as furniture where they can sit and reflect and watch the world go by, while the bustling activity on Hay Hill continues around them.

Concerns have been voiced about the potential hazard caused by the pieces, but a risk assessment has been carried out and it will be obvious the pieces are part of a group of stones occupying the space. People can choose to move between or around them – there are plenty of options.

Also, the stones will be illuminated at night by subtle uplighters that are part of the artwork.

The stones were made in Pietrasanta, a small town in Tuscany, in a small bottega (artists’ yard) where classical bronzes and marbles have been made for centuries. The Italian craftsmen worked with artists Anne and Patrick Poirier to pick out high-quality stones, much of which comes from the hills around the town.

Marble from this area was also used in the construction of the famous Norwich Union Marble Hall in Surrey House, Surrey Street.

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

Dive’s Gem

After the last two days, of course I had to complete the collection. This is not exactly a body part dropped in the middle of the city centre, but something Dive holds dear. It’s not a testicle, mind. I thought it looked like a bean. What do you think?