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Editor's Note: CR4 would like to thank Del
the Cat for writing this story and sharing his sketches and watercolors of the
glassworks in Harlow, England. Cheers, Del!
Overview
These pics were done as the 80s became the 90s. I was Chief Designer at
Clement Clarke International then. The industrial area where I worked was being
redeveloped, so I spent my lunch hours strolling about and doing sketches.
Nearby are a gas works, the glass works, and buildings being knocked down.
These sketches were views that caught my eye.
Johnson Matthey
The demolition of Johnson Matthey was interesting as some of the building
was brick-built, including the chimney. It drew a good audience as it was
knocked down. Unfortunately, I missed the demolition.
The Glassworks Chimneys
This sketch of the glassworks chimneys (1989) shows the guy wires which
brace them. These define the triangular shapes in the "Sunny Day"
abstract (1990), which grew out of studying the views and sketching.
The Sunny Day Abstract
You just can't tell who will "get" abstract art. The old tea lady
liked them, but one guy said "there are no pyramids at the glass
works". The lines and shapes are there to be seen. On a sunny day, it is a
cheerful and dynamic view.
The style is meant to be abstract, but slightly reminiscent of the railway
posters of the 1920s and 1930s. Like many men, my colour vision isn't perfect
(slight red/green deficiency), so abstracting the shapes and colours is a way
round that. After all, the monochrome of pencil sketches can be a bit sterile.
I used watercolour because I'm not very good with it, and it provided an
exercise in trying to apply the colour nicely. The darker colours of the sunset
expose my poor technique and look rather blotchy.
The Sunset Picture
The sunset picture is based on a photo I took. There had been some lovely
sunsets, so I took my SLR camera and stuck it on a tripod and held the shutter
open by guesswork. The picture is great and I had an enlargement done.
Unfortunately, since glossy paper is predominantly dark, the reflections spoil
it.
I turned it into an abstract, taking out and accentuating the areas of
interest. This is an area where a conveyor belt runs up at an angle and the
lights show through greenish, corrugated, plastic sheeting. There are also
lovely shapes of the spotlight playing on the cylindrical silos, and the
silhouetted trees along the adjoining railway line.
The Back of the Factory
The final sketch is just the back of the place I worked. There was an
interesting juxtaposition of doors pipes, posts and suchlike. (I have also done
that as a rather uninspiring conventional watercolour.)
Ah, that reminds me. I did a "conventional" water colour of the
Glassworks Sunny Day view, which my Mum has on her wall. I don't much like it,
however. It is poor compared to either the pencil sketch or the abstract, but
she wanted it.
Del
Steve Melito - The Y Files
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Re: Harlow’s Glassworks: Industry Meets Art
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