Original artwork description:

There is a footbridge over the Royal Docks, that connects ExCeL London with Britannia Village. The housing estate that was built in the 1990’s sits alongside the historic docks. The area is named after three docks – the Royal Albert Dock, the Royal Victoria Dock and the King George V Dock. They are more correctly called the Royal Group of Docks to distinguish them from the Royal Dockyards, Royal being due to their naming after royal personages rather than Crown ownership. The three docks collectively formed the largest enclosed docks in the world, with a water area of nearly 250 acres (1.0 km2) and an overall estate of 1,100 acres (4.5 km2). This is equivalent to the whole of central London from Hyde Park to Tower Bridge.
I worked on several mural and community art projects in the area, around the time of making this painting. I wanted to capture the present moment, local people using the footbridge regularly to go about their daily routines, the lifts often didn’t work and conversation was often about this fact.
The Stothert and Pitt cranes on the north and south sides of the royal Victoria dock are grade II listed and the whole area has a strong historical significance.

Materials used:

oil paint

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