Richard Briggs - Cherry Street, Werribee
The Cherry Street level crossing removal was the first of many Level Crossing Removal Projects (LXRP) public art commissions led by T Projects.
We developed a project specific arts strategy; created the artists commission brief; sourced a long list of suitable artists for our client’s consideration and then managed the shortlisted artists throughout concept design, presentation and selection. We then supporting the selected artist, Richard Briggs, through detailed design, fabrication and installation. We also supported the project comms team in the development and delivery of a range of community engagement activities, workshops and a range of community communications content.
LXRP had stipulated that the artwork should be fully integrated into the wider scheme and should be site specific, reflecting people and place.
The resulting artwork 'Community Recordings' is a series of line drawings directly informed and inspired by the people of Werribee. Originally Richard had hoped to embed himself in the Werribee community, but Covid 19 had just hit and we were in what would become the world's longest lockdown. With the incredible support and assitance of the Wyndham City Council arts and culture department and the project stakeholder engagement team, Richard began what ended up became a marathon of online consultations with a wide range of people and organisations from across the Wyndham community. The drawings are all directly informed and inspired by these conversations and engagement with the people of Werribee.
The artworks document aspects of the urban and natural landscape, and the people that live in the Werribee area. Embedded into the ground, these local narratives are translated into line drawings that are part whimsical, part informative. They aim to generate intrigue and curiosity, becoming another way to interpret a place through many layered references to community perspectives.
Client
Level Crossing Removal Project
Artist
Project Team
Western Program Alliance with Denton Corker Marshall, Hassell and Arup
Fabricator
Photography
T Projects & Simon Strong
richard briggs
Richard Briggs is an artist who loves drawing. He has a particular interest in forming an understanding about what makes a place unique, and how this can translate into an artwork. Richard uses drawing to explore our surroundings, both urban and natural, bringing the viewer into a world of intrigue, curiosity, and calm. His line based artworks are experiential and carry a spatial quality derived from simplification of our often complex surroundings. Importantly, they also aim to tell stories about a particular place, it’s people and are community and site specific.
Richard has experience of working with a wide range of clients and stakeholders. He has worked with NSW based Councils such as the City of Sydney, the Inner West Council, and the Government of Victoria on a large-scale public artwork for the Level Crossing Removal Project in Melbourne. Richard has also recently worked with NSW Health Infrastructure to produce numerous wall drawings at the Acute Services Building, Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick.