Called Reclaim The Space, this artwork aims to capture the heart and soul of the brilliant community in St Mellons, featuring over 50 local people having a mass “lie-in” on the grass in the field behind Tesco. Painted along a 24m-long wall, it shows people of all ages (and their dogs) lying on the grass in the sunshine, having a cwtch and reclaiming their local natural and urban space.
Inspired by the positive reaction to Us Here Now (Common Wealth's previous photography project in the same space, made with artist Jon Pountney), Common Wealth applied for funding from the Arts Council of Wales to bring a more permanent artwork here. They worked with their Sounding Board to find the right artist to commission and to collaborate with the local community.
Helen Bur is a British artist and painter who makes ambitious, wall-based paintings of people. She has created outdoor works world-wide - in Europe and the UK, as well as in America, Senegal and India.
Rhiannon White, Co-Artistic Director of Common Wealth said:
We decided that we’d use the fields behind Tesco next to the woods to do a mass chilled lie in – taking inspiration from protests where activists just lie down to reclaim a space/ a place/ or protest. We spent the day having a picnic, invited local people to dress in bright clothes and lie down on the grass so we could capture them for the painting. We photographed 50 people that day. People with their kids, dogs, the youth club kids. One nan came back three times with different people – dropping them off in the car and watching as we photographed. It felt special.
Reclaim the Space had been funded by the Arts Council of Wales, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, donations from local people and supported by Tesco St Mellons.
