Dormay Street, London
Dormay Street, Wandsworth, London: Extract & Distil, Yemi Awosile
Year
2023
Client
fereday pollard for Tideway
Artist
Yemi Awosile
Service
Commission Management
Location
Dormay Street, Wandsworth, London
A permanent commission for Dormay Street
Yemi Awosile was commissioned by Tideway to create an artwork for the site at Dormay Street, part of the Wandle Delta masterplan area.
The permanent Tideway commissions respond to the site-specific narratives set out in the Tideway Heritage Interpretation Strategy. The cultural meander for the West section is – ‘Recreation to Industry: Society in Transition’, the site-specific narrative relates to improving human health. The site is the location of the first factory developed by Sir Henry Wellcome, who founded both a pharmaceutical company and a philanthropic trust that have been at the forefront of global scientific research to free humanity from disease.
Yemi’s artwork, Extract and Distil, responds to this specific history of the site and comprises a series of four vibrant, metal sculptural elements fixed to wooden fenders that protect the intertidal terraces within the Bell Lane Creek, off the River Wandle. The commission celebrates the site’s connection to pioneering medical research and scientific exploration which increased the availability of pharmaceutical therapies and scientific knowledge.
As a creative point of entry, her research looked at Sir Henry Wellcome’s personal archive of medical glassware. He collected over 5,000 pieces of apothecary glassware used to store, boil and distil chemicals. The artist has looked more specifically at scientific research linked to the Wellcome Foundation and focused on the legacy of scientific breakthroughs which took place during his lifetime.
Since its creation in 1936, philanthropic funding from the Wellcome Trust has led to a multitude of successful scientific developments which have made an ongoing contribution to the development international medical research. Some of which include the discovery of antitoxins for tetanus, diphtheria and gangrene; and the isolation of histamine resulting in the production of anti-histamine.
Extract and Distil is based on an interlocking system of modular patterns inspired by organic chemistry, which Yemi modified to incorporate visual aspects of the molecular structure of histamine (molecular formula C5H9N). The forms themselves were developed from the chemical compound, the packaging design and the surface manipulation of paper folding.
See an interview with Yemi here
For more information on the site’s history see Tideway’s Heritage Interpretation Strategy.
“The bright injections of pattern are based on a re-imaging of pharmaceutical chemistry patterns. The forms are developed from the chemical compound, the packaging design and the surface manipulation of paper folding.”
The four sculptures work with the architectural infrastructure of the waterway to integrate the river into the design, capturing the reflective qualities of the water and enabling light to pass through the negative space in the metal. Situated on the Creek’s fenders in view of the adjacent bridge and railway line, the artworks can be seen from different angles, changing with shadow and light, and the varying heights of the water to animate the area between the site and the Creek.
The sculptures are 8mm are laser cut metal, folded and hand finished and powder coated. Measuring between 640mm to 1225mm width and 1235mm to 2150 in height.
Fabricated and installed by Sorba who was commissioned by BMB JV (Morgan Sindall and Balfour Beatty), the main work contractor for the west sites.
“The collection of intriguing forms change with shadow and light, reflection and the varying heights of the water. ”
Yemi Awosile is a designer living and working in London. Her work is informed by cultural insights expressed primarily through textiles and printed matter. The broader scope of her practice bridges design and visual arts through social interventions. Recent projects include collaborations with Triennale Art and Industry - Dunkerque, Rubis mécénat, Frac Grand Large - Hauts de France, LAAC – Musée de France, and L’école supérieure d’art - Dunkerque. She has collaborated with organisations such as Tent Rotterdam, Tate Gallery, Contemporary And (C&) magazine and the British Council. Her work can be viewed in the Victoria & Albert Museum handling collection.
She trained as a textile designer at the Royal College of Art and Chelsea College of Art. She currently teaches at Goldsmiths, University of London on the BA (Hons) course in Design; and teaches at the Royal College of Art as an associate lecturer on the Textile Design MA.
For more information see:
www.tideway.london