This
whole area until the 1970's was a scene of complete dereliction and decay
with miles of abandoned
railway sidings and redundant coal staithes. The Tyne and Wear Development
Corporation carried out major regeneration of this area. It is now a contains
housing, shopping, business and leisure facilities.
The redundant Albert Edward Dock has been redeveloped as an Marina complete
with a floating restaurant.and the old coal stairhes have been replaced
by the North Sea International Ferry terminal's roll on - roll off berths.
Hadrian's Cycleway NCN 72 passes through the centre of this area and around the northern edge of the Marina
Lightening
Clock
Located just
off NCN 72 in the Royal Quays Shopping Centre
Artist:
Andy Plant
At over 30ft high and made of copper and steel, the Lightning Clock
is designed to tell a lot more than the time. The clock consists of two
huge copper spheres welded to a steel ‘lightning flash’. The
larger sphere represents the wind. The smaller sphere forms the actual
clock and a lone figure is balanced on top. On the hour the large sphere
begins to rotate accompanied by crashes of thunder. Wind and smoke lift
the small figure off his feet and he clings on as he floats horizontally.
As the hour passes, the wind dies down, the figure returns to his feet
and calm descends.
The clock will also forecast the weather, providing constant information
through a series of meteorological instruments on wind speed and direction,
air temperatures, rainfall and high and low tides.
Tyne
Anew
Located
at the entrance to the Albert Edward Dock
and can be viewed from NCN 72.
Artist:
Mark di Suvero
The bright orange structure is a monument to artistic engineering and
balancing skill.
Three huge'tripod' style legs support a top piece that twists, dips and
rotates in the wind.
The sculpture was made in New York and then dismantled and shipped to
England where it was shotblasted, primed and painted in Redwood Orange
to interact with the often grey skies of the North east. It took three
days to erect with two huge mobile cranes.
Redburn
Dene Park - "Rugged Landscape"
This was once one of the main rail corridors down to the coal staithes from the coalfields in Northumberland.
The
large timbers used to form the carved columns were reclaimed from the
nearby redundant coal staithes, these along with the large boulders form
the "Rugged Landscape"
Hadrian's
Cycleway traverses the length of this park.
Chirton
Dene Park - "Water Landscape"
The dene was infilled when the Albert Edward Dock was constructed in 1880's.
The
new 12 acre public park has water as its central theme. water appears
first as a mountain stream, then reed beds, central pool, a cadadar,
a boggy area and finally a series of cascades before entering the
Albert Edward Dock.
Hadrian's Cycleway passes over a wooden bridge in front of the cascade
and reflecting pool.
Dudes
Located just off NCN 72 at the entrance to the North Sea International Ferry terminal
on a grassy mound behind the Cycle Information shelter.
Artist
:-Permindar Kaur
13 brightly coloured figures "Dudes" march towards the passenger
terminal - two further "Dudes", nearer to achieving ther gaol,
have made it into the buildings and are heading for the departure gates.
They
have a story for the viewer to interpret. With their shiny helmets and
boots, are they warriors retreating or attacking? Or are they more playful,
like toys searching for new playmates from another country or continent?
Friend or foe? Where have they
come from… why are they here… where are they going?
Powdered coated in metallic bright blue and red, the figures represent
what a port is about - moving, travelling, seeking out the new.
The moment immortalized in the installation is the Dudes' arrival at the grassy mound to the entrance of the International Ferry Terminal. They look like they could have been walking for days.
They have a set determination. It is not difficult to imagine that they have been arranged, as in a child's game, prepared for a mission or a battle.
The work has many different layers. From first appearing as large toys, something friendly, to something menacing and impenetrable as they are without features and are rigid and unbending. You do not know whom this team or army represent and on whose side they are.
Of course, one would like to think that they are on your side. Nevertheless, this is all open to interpretation. It is very easy to read different stories into them. Imagine who they are, where they came from and what they intend to do when they reach their destination.
From a distance they appear larger than life but as you get closer to them, it becomes clear that they are no higher than a tall child or a small adult. One has to think again, what this group is up to.
