I Spy 2005
Date: 2017
Dimensions: 1 x 3m (different areas)
Materials: Handmade ceramics
Techniques: Carved and coloured ceramics with coloured slips and glazes
Commissioned by:
Location: Holywood Arches Health Centre, Belfast
Architects: Penoyre & Prasad of London in partnership with local practice Todd Architects
Description: Several areas in the first floor of the health centre have humorous illustrated and printed ceramics depicting the history of the area all tied together to form a game of ‘I Spy’.
Concept: “ I Spy “ is a game loosely based on the old favourite word game of long car journeys. It takes the form of a ceramic mural, the objects to be “spied” hang from a ceramic rope which winds its way through walls, around pillars overhead and along the walls of the waiting area.
I have included references to the local area with bottle factories, Shorts aeroplanes, sailing boats, C.S Lewis, the Titanic to name a few. To encourage children to find words without having to know what they begin with, the game states “ I spy with my little eye , something…”. This means that children can spy things which are yellow, begin with a letter or even something which flies, to give a few examples. If you can’t find the words some of them are hidden in an alphabet washing line along the waiting area. Each piece of the mural is hand built in a strong clay and glazed with coloured glazes and lustres.
Textures on the ceramic surfaces encourage touch and words and other images are hidden in the surfaces.
