Pete Codling
ARTIST RESIDENCY @
PORTSMOUTH HISTORIC DOCKYARD
I am the Artist in Residence at The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, as guest of Portsmouth Historic Quarter. My studio is in Store House 9.
What is an Artist Residency?
An Artist works with a venue, organisation or company to create an artwork for them or just work in a studio space to share ideas and help make a cultural difference. It may result in a finished piece or just engage creatively with the venue with various creative outcomes. Sometimes just to allow the artist to play and develop new work.
It took three years to create CROWD on a replica sail from HMS Victory. This was an artist proposal that came out of the Lock Down period, not a commission. The Artist Residency is supported by Arts Council England and hosted by Portsmouth Historic Quarter - PHQ.
The artwork is currently on display at Boat House 4 in the Dockyard. It is free to visit.
I am currently making the encyclopedia to this huge and complex drawing with over 2000 years depicted with ~900 faces and characters. Each will be mapped and a biography or description added. The book will be available later this year.
Subscribe to the website or follow me on line for more info on its publication.
Full Sail Ahead
CROWD - The big sail - a portrait of the City
This enormous drawing is inspired as a hand drawn portrait of the city. Portsmouth that still holds claim to be one of the most densely populated cities in Europe, hence the first drawing is called CROWD. The rich and multi cultural history of this maritime city will be depicted in two epic charcoal drawings with ~1500 characters included spanning 2000 years of Portsea Island.
The first is a life size replica of the HMS Victory spritsail which is 17m wide x 10m high ( the one from the very front of the ship). This has been carefully researched to be as realistic as possible to the 18th century sails of Nelson's f;flagship. The drawings are done direct and free hand in charcoal and sealed into the heavy duty cotton canvas made into the sail by a master sail maker Mike Williams.
It is covered in portraits of people with a connection to the city and its history. It reflects the contemporary demographic to create an imaginary 'motley crew' of the same size for this ship. It is a massive and ambitious project and there is as much art in getting it funded and made as there is creating the drawings. There were some delays with Lock Down issues, funding and location logistics, but this has only added to the outreach and community awareness of the artwork and given time for more people to get involved.
The project is funded by a mixture of Crowdfunding, local Authority grants, local business sponsorship, donations and philanthropy. Arts Council England have helped me to reach deeper into the community for participation, working with the youth groups and young people in educational support as well as veterans, refugees, migrants and tourists..
Studio Visits by request or appointment. Message/email me direct or by phone 07503105655
Be sure to follow the work in progress on the dedicated Instagram page:
How about this for a view in the Dockyard from South Office window….
500 years of Naval history. HMS Victory, The Mary Rose Museum & Royal Naval Museum. The Spritsail would have hung from the front Bow of the ship, pointing into the fore ground of the photo over hanging the fence and people just below at a whopping 10m x 17m.
