Geograph - photograph every grid square

The Intu shopping complex is a 10 minute walk away behind the photographer and this is a view towards the Derby railway station area. This is an example from a collection of nineteen stainless steel ‘art chairs’. The chairs range from 400mm to 3.5 metres in height and a number of them have bronze artefacts affixed to their seats, i.e. industrial objects including scissors and wooden mallets that have been incorporated into the seat of some of the chairs. The sculptures were commissioned by the development company Compendium Living and created by Denis O’Connor and Bernadine Rutter of Sculpture Works Ltd of Wirksworth Derbyshire to give the area a new identity, creating a visual trail for residents, visitors and commuters. In a recent press release, Denis O’Connor who specialises in the design and fabrication of site-specific ‘landmark’ steel sculptures said: “We were interested in revealing the industrial origins of the site and the ‘traceries’ of a forgotten period in Derby’s industrial heritage and how it influenced the growth of the city. The intention for the artwork is to establish a strong visual narrative, inviting the audience to interact with and investigate the physical artworks. The chairs also symbolise people’s homes now and then.” The Castleward Project has involved the construction of 164 two, three and four bedroomed homes for sale, rent and shared ownership and the construction of 18,750 sq. ft of commercial (retail and small business) floor-space in twelve individual units and an attractive boulevard linking the railway station with the Intu shopping centre, together with enhancements to the vicinity. The half-human and half-duck pictures on the hoarding are accompanied by the phrase "Face the Strange".