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The City that never was...... A personal view of development on Tyne Notes for an Exhibition and lectures by Mike Tilley 2010 Since 1970 I have had ideas of producing an artwork that expressed my concerns and wonder of local urban development, its image of a culture and the evolution of the City. Discussions with friends produced more questions than answers and then a young architect lent me a copy of Lewis Mumford's 'The Culture of Cities' a radical work produced at the start of World War 2. I struggled to read Mumford but bits of it stuck, and last year I asked for a copy of the same book as a Christmas present! The only complete early work I
produced on this theme was 'Urban Cycle' an installation of
film, photo slide projections and sound, presented at
Wallsend Arts Centre ( Buddle) in 1974. This project refers to - John Brand , E Mackenzie 1827 , Collard & Ords 1842 , James Guthrie 1880, Charlton, the Newcastle Plan of 1945, Central Redevelopment - Wilfred Burns 1961, City Planning :Newcastle - Kenneth A Galley 1963, Eldon Square City booklet 1964, A study in replanning Newcastle -Wifred Burns 1967. Tyneside - C M Fraser & K Emsley 1973.
Over the years I have come to understand that the construction and culture of our City is subject to a 'chaos theory' all of its own, and that few plans ever have the outcome the promoters expect. At times some developments appear to be a capitalist conspiracy, but outcomes, like the weather, are often outside any forecast. This is not to deny the validity of planning, but for some decision makers seeing the 'big picture' is often like seeing a tree as piece of wood that is not a living part of the eco system. People of each era have shaped Newcastle and left a heritage that they could not have forseen. The Roman Wall, Road, Fort and Bridge may be long gone as monuments but they still shape the plan of the City and its image. Back in the 1840's the picturesque and modern could be celebrated as one, but by the 1970's modernism was perceived as uncaring and brutal, despite or maybe because of the idealism of its concept. Although it is clear that the rush to use industrial buiding processes often ignored the social needs and sensitivity of the comunity. 'The City that never was' shows
different perceptions of what is, was, and could have been,
- but most of all I hope to show a glimpse of the
evolutionary process that shapes the city and its culture.
Lectures for the Centre for Life Long Learning. Thursday 11th March - An overview - the river and the City Thursday 18th March - the industrial age Thursday 25th March - post war to the future Exhibition - 10th April - 8th May at Newcastle Arts Centre 2010
Text and Pictures ©:
Mike Tilley 2010 |
