26th June 2016
It’s the rail thing
Swindon Town Hall Railings
Oh listeners. I AM ashamed. All the years I’ve been in Swindon and have walked past the town hall – now the home of Swindon Dance – I’ve never noticed the Swindon town hall railings and how beautiful they are. How on EARTH have I missed them until now? It’s shocking!
And I can’t actually lay claim to ‘noticing’ them even now. I’m only aware of them because my good friend Carole Bent mentioned them on Facebook so I made a point of going to see them.
And very splendid they are.
A relatively new addition to the town hall, they were installed in 1997 and are the creation of  Avril Wilson: http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/staff/avril-wilson
“Avril Wilson’s studio practice and research interests explores how the interplay between image, material and process affect interpretation of place and notions of identity. “
These wonderful railings were it seems designed to detail hand gestures and dance movements.
See the railings on Flickr:Â https://www.flickr.com/photos/nkw/9662004855
“Avril Wilson is a craftsperson, designer and artist, whose specialism is in blacksmithing and steel fabrication.
Avril Wilson was the first female artist-blacksmith to be awarded a bronze medal by The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths in recognition for her contribution to architectural metalwork. Her work explores identity of place through commissioned work in the public realm and gallery exhibitions.”
NB: Swindon town hall is now the home of Swindon Dance. The building also houses the sculpture of Charlotte Corday and a mural by Carleton Atwood creator of The Watchers at Toothill village centre – part of the West Swindon Sculpture trail.
Read about Carleton Atwood in this article by Barry Leighton: http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/13489921.Swindon_sculptor_Carleton_Attwood_was_an_artist_and_a_gentleman___/
Charlotte Corday: https://swindonian.me/2015/08/19/charlotte-corday-statue-swindon-town-hall/Â with link to Barry Leighton’s article about the statue: https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/13612747.how-swindon-almost-lost-treasured-marble/?ref=fbshr
Swindon Dance:Â http://www.swindondance.org.uk
