You Are Here is the first public sculpture for celebrated artist Tom Hicks who is well-known for his photographs of unique Black Country shops and buildings under the guise of Black Country Type.
The large metal structure includes the engraved typefaces of local businesses including Dancers and Hobbs and is part of the new Cross Street Local Travel Point.
Commissioned by Ikon and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), the project began with a series of community photo-poetry walks led by Hicks in collaboration with award-winning poet Liz Berry.
(Image: Ikon)
Tom said: “Working on a public artwork has sparked an exciting new direction for my practice – informed by my photography, I have expanded into three-dimensional work and explored materials, construction techniques and paint treatments.
“It has been manufactured in the region that it celebrates and one of the greatest pleasures has been working directly with factories in the Black Country to fabricate the work – their time, patience and expertise has been invaluable.”
(Image: Ikon)
Fabricated and powder-coated by Midtherm, a manufacturer based in Dudley since 1968, the sculpture envelops a metal framework supplied by TfWM and mirrors the structural forms that frequently appear in Hicks’ photographs.
Informed by his research into modernist industrial design, particularly the work of Jean Prouvé – acclaimed for his innovative use of materials and abstract forms – Hicks has embedded laser-cut patterns into the work.
Tom Hicks with MP Alex Ballinger at the launch of the artwork (Image: Ikon)
He said: “During our guided photo walks around Halesowen, I was also fortunate to hear local people talk with genuine warmth about the town.
“My art practice encourages people to observe and appreciate their immediate surroundings and the letters and symbols that appear on the artwork were all found in Halesowen.”
Halesowen MP Alex Ballinger, who attended the launch of the artwork, said: “You Are Here sends a message, especially to young people, that art belongs here, that it’s for everyone, and that our local identity is something worth celebrating.
“I hope this is just the beginning of more creative investment and inspiration across Halesowen and the Black Country.”