Talking Points

Public Art Commission

Nestled in Purley, the Grovelands Road site, formerly home to two family dwellings, has been transformed into a development of 44 modern flats, located across three separate buildings.

Four Property Group commissioned FrancisKnight, to fulfil a public art condition for this new development. After an open call to artists in Croydon, Rona Smith was chosen for the commission. Her practice lies in sculpture and installation. She draws on her interest in heritage architecture, period design and sacred geometry to create works which reference to the history of their locations and the purpose of the buildings they inhabit. Rona has completed several prestigious, permanent commissions across London including An Age, An Instant for The Crown Estate in Regent Street, Abeona at JCDecaux’s HQ in Paddington and North Elevation for the Lumen Centre in Bloomsbury.

Rona’s proposal for this development drew inspiration from Purley Telephone Exchange, located in Brighton Road, 200m away from the Grovelands Road site. Her design was influenced by the criss-crossing network of cables formed from a telephone switchboard, achieving variation and depth in the colour and relief pattern work and injecting vitality into the Grovelands Road setting. The public artworks were designed to represent the act of connecting points at the exchange desk while celebrating the connection of family and friends through conversation, paying homage to the rich legacy of the Purley exchange.

FrancisKnight hosted a workshop alongside Rona Smith entitled “An Introduction to Public Realm Art” as part of this commission. The workshop was provided to local artists at Turf Projects and discussed how an artist’s practice can be adapted for the public realm. This candid & hands-on workshop explored how to find opportunities, craft impactful proposals, manage project requirements, and navigate the nuances of working with fabricators. Artist Lucy Grainge who attended this workshop, is now being mentored by Rona.