Artists: Thomas Eisl , Julia Manheim , Simon Read , John Frankland

The Thames Path is a 180 mile walking route which follows the old riverside towpath for much of its length from its Cotswold source to the Thames Barrier in London. Artpoint was engaged to develop and implement a public art strategy for the river’s length outside London.

Four artist’s research residencies were developed with the aim of finding new ways to interpret and communicate historical, cultural, anthropological, geological, sociological, industrial and environmental aspects of the river. Each artist was allocated a section of the river to explore and invited to research and realise new work which challenged traditional and familiar views of the River Thames. Julia Manheim’s residency involved research at Reading Museum and resulted in an artist’s book and site-specific installation; Simon Read produced a series of drawings and photographs as well as a permanent wall drawing at the Thames Barrier; John Frankland developed a series of digitally manipulated photographs or ‘virtual sculptures’; and Thomas Eisl produced a photographic archive and artist’s book.

Two exhibitions, in London and Oxford, resulted from the residencies. The artists’ work forms part of a creative archive housed at the River and Rowing Museum, Henley, which remains a valuable resource for those concerned with the Thames as subject matter.

Commissioner

The Countryside Agency

Partners

Reading Museum, Butler’s Wharf Ltd,

Budget

£50,000

Funders

Allied Domecq Plc, The Countryside Agency, Southern Arts Board

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