Literally, Maid of the Bridge
A striking new piece of artwork will welcome people to Bath Riverside development at the end of summer. The sculpture, titled Maid of the Bridge, has been designed by local artist Anna Gillespie in collaboration with Bath-based engineering firm Buro Happold and will be created using metal retained during the refurbishment of Victoria Bridge. Local company Ironart of Bath is working to forge the sculpture which is due to be unveiled on Elizabeth Parade next month. Anna said: “Maid of the Bridge will take the form of an abstract figure overlooking the new park. The original idea came from my ‘Blown Away’ series of figurative sculptures but rather than modelling it in a traditional way, the brief was to make it out of the ‘slats’ of cast iron that had to be removed from Victoria Bridge as part of its conservation and reconstruction. “My main hope for the sculpture is that it will create connections – between the past and the present, between the land and the river, between one bank and the other. I hope too that in time, the people who are making their homes in this newly-opened up area of Bath will enjoy the sculpture and find their own connections to it.” Andy Thearle from Ironart of Bath added: “We are delighted to be involved with the making of Maid of the Bridge that combines our passions and worlds of heritage and metal in the service of excellent art. We are always keen to support the work of artists that require our practical knowledge and skills.” This latest artwork forms part of the art strategy for Bath Riverside which has seen numerous pieces, many of which have been designed by local artists, incorporated into the Crest Nicholson development. The artworks installed to date include stone carvings, etched windows, bronze castings and the popular Herschel Chairs in Victoria Bridge Square. Local artist Peter Dickinson who oversees the Bath Riverside art strategy on behalf of Crest Nicholson said the developer “is keen to create a development that focusses as much on the quality of landscaping and environment as it does on the quality of the new homes. “The art strategy forms an important part of the development, showcasing talents of local artists and also harking back to the heritage and history of the site and the city.”