The concrete legacy of William Mitchell more

µThe Concrete Legacy of William Mitchell.¶ Architect George Perkin¶s µConcrete Murals¶ article published in Concrete Quarterly in 1963, heralded William Mitchell¶s artwork as art and architectural practices integrating once more, with the artist as part of the design team.1 It also celebrated Mitchell¶s imaginative use of concrete as an art material, revealing his love for sculpture and relief: A glance at some of his recent work, and you begin to get the idea: the wall becomes three-dimensional; the grain and texture of concrete play their full part. For him, concrete has infinite and exciting possibilities, which he is constantly exploring.2 Although Mitchell was valued as a versatile public artist and designer by those he collaborated with, the importance of his practice was never fully recognised. He was not accepted by the art world, as he preferred to work directly with architects and contractors. Conservationists and historians ignored him, as he was thought to cross too many artistic boundaries. Also working in materials that were not fully understood or appreciated meant that his work proved vulnerable to neglect or alteration. In terms of quantity it would be hard for Mitchell¶s output to be surpassed, from his successful debut as an Industrial Design student at the Royal College of Art (195357), to his employment as a µDesign Consultant¶ and µPatronage of the Arts¶ artist at the London County Council (LCC) (1957-65) and eventually his role co-ordinating a variety of art and industrial based companies during the 1960s and 70s. From the one off public and private murals and sculptures in concrete, fibreglass and mosaic to the versatility of his large-scale concrete construction projects in Britain and internationally, this made for a comprehensive portfolio of work. Mitchell¶s versatility was first recognised in The Times colour supplement article µThe Colourful Crusade of William Mitchell¶, published in 1962, where it was noted that one of his achievements was the invention of µa perfectly democratic, classless form 1 Perkin had felt that µornament¶ was at an all time low and µenrichment¶ a banned word. George Perkin, µConcrete Murals¶, Concrete Quarterly, No. 57, Apr/June 1963, p. 15. 2 Ibid, pp. 15-16. of decoration¶.3 As a Design Consultant at the LCC he was given the opportunity to develop new techniques and experiment with unexplored materials in a specialist role that reached the public in the heart of their communities. His quirky relief mural created for an external walkway at Wilson¶s Grove in 1959 captured the creative potential of concrete using industrial processes. As part of the LCC¶s Patronage of the Arts Scheme, Mitchell was commissioned to design a concrete mural for the facade of Northern Polytechnic in 1962, which was to be executed by the contractors. He was an ideal choice for the bold relief, as his Consultant role had given him the experience of liaising with architects and builders, and working to strict deadlines. By the early 1960s emphasis was being placed on the development of special concrete surface treatments, including exposed aggregate and profiled finishes. As methods and machinery linked to pre-casting became cheaper and quicker, colour and texture were integrated.4 During this period, permanent displays of concrete were positioned at the Research Station of the Cement and Concrete Association (C & CA) at Wexham Springs in Buckinghamshire and Mitchell became involved with the association, as Perkin recalled: We commissioned William Mitchell to execute a wall and other works for our grounds. We knew his work for a long time, and we included a panel by him as part of the surface finishes display. It suggests another aspect of the material. He has come to lecture at the training centre when courses are presented for all branches of the building trade, including architects.5 Mitchell designed a freestanding concrete group to illustrate different textures, finishes and colours; his µCorn King and Spring Queen¶ sculpture made in 1964 was inspired by Anglo Saxon fertility rites. It was cast in concrete against expanded 3 John Russell, µThe Colourful Crusade of William Mitchell¶, Design for Living, The Times, 24th June 1962, p. 15. 4 H. L. Childe¶s book was originally published in 1935 (revised 1943) under the title Concrete Surface Finishes, Rendering and Terrazzo, however by 1964 there had been a tremendous increase in the use of concrete and the book had to be completely revised to include all the methods that were in common use at this point with new illustrations. H. L. Childe, Concrete Finishes and Decoration, Concrete Publications Limited, London 1964, p. 5. 5 Interview with G. Perkin, 18 th November 1969, Dolores Mitchell Archive. polystyrene, employing different coloured cements and aggregates exposed by sandblasting, with small areas of applied mosaic, flint, pebbles and ceramic. In the commercial sector Mitchell began to refine his techniques, for example, experimenting with polyurethane moulds to create his deeply modelled forms. In a private commission for a new office building at the Barbican Scheme in London, Mitchell was able to show his love of Egyptian ornamentation at its fullest. The entrance mural was pre-cast in sections approx. 4 feet by 7 feet with Portland cement against polyurethane moulds where were painted in parts with retarder, where an exposed aggregate finish was required. The mural exploited the quality of natural concrete and was exactly as it came from the mould; no coloured cements or aggregates were used.6 In 1963 Mitchell was commissioned by architect Frederick Gibberd to produce seven µLion's Head Gargoyle Mosaics¶ for his Water Gardens in Harlow New Town, the artwork made up of stones, shell and mosaic on a concrete base. The addition of time and money allowed him to tackle more sophisticated forms, his heavily sculpted concrete sun terrace at Hampstead Civic Centre created in 1964 formed part of a whole complex designed by architect Basil Spence. The concrete was cast from hand-made plywood-profiled formwork poured in situ.7 In 1966 his structural concrete wall with pebble aggregate was cast in one piece, including the window apertures at the Three Tuns Public House in Coventry. The design was formed by the inclusion of a polystyrene sheet cut with a hot wire placed behind the shuttering prior to pouring. Mitchell also began to work on a larger scale and in 1963 he produced white acidetched concrete cladding slabs for a twelve-storey block at the LCC site of Willowbrook Estate. µMainstream Modernism¶ resulted in new curtain wall office blocks rising in many city-centres, which presented Mitchell with further opportunities to develop his cladding panels in the commercial world. In 1967 the Concrete Society commended his office building, Lennig House in Croydon, for µits 6 7 Perkin, µConcrete Murals¶, p. 16. Anon, µSwimming Baths and Library¶, Concrete Quarterly, No. 63, Oct/Dec. 1964, pp. 14-18. original use of concrete¶; the judges said: µThe use of specially-designed high quality formwork resulted in a very unified building, which achieves a striking effect from the sculptural quality of the columns, and the finer areas of light and shade on the ribbed concrete¶. 8 Although Mitchell proved popular with local authorities, architects and industry responsible for the rebuilding of post-war Britain, in more artistic circles his work was contemptuously referred to as µarchitectural knitting¶.9 Architect Theo Crosby felt that technology was detaching architecture from architects (component building and elementary design choices) and this worked against the sculptor who attempted to work in the materials of modern building. Mitchell¶s lack of a singular approach and a passion for developing new methods contributed to the negative responses he received. However he had qualities that marked him out from other lesser-known artists of the period, including an endless enthusiasm for pushing the boundaries and an extraordinary capacity for hard work. 10 In 1969 he created therapeutic ceilings for the Radiotherapy Unit at Clatterbridge Hospital in Cheshire. The concrete roof slabs were cast against mould liners of carved foamed polyurethane, the richness of the pattern accentuated by lighting which could be controlled by the patient. In 1968 at Hockley Flyover in Birmingham his company William Mitchell Design Consultants won the contract to design cast-in-place concrete bridge abutments; the abstract panels were intended to contrast with the rigidness and precision of the environment created by the viaduct and subways. The panels, envisaged as a climbing wall, were cast in situ into expanded polyurethane moulds and the surfaces were treated with bush hammers, sandblasted then lacquered. In the early 1970s Mitchell helped develop the innovative material µFaircrete¶ with John Laing Research and Development to be used for decorative purposes; it was Anon, µ25 Years Ago¶, Croydon Advertiser, December 1993, page unknown. Theo Crosby ridiculed Mitchell¶s work as µarchitectural knitting¶ during a speech at the International Union of Architects Congress in 1961, however LCC architect Oliver Cox defended the work by comparing it to chain mail as he thought it was practical an d decorative at the same time. Yet Crosby criticised his work again (showing a photograph of Willowbrook Estate) in the Studio International article µA Kind of Urban Furniture¶ written in 1972. 10 His RCA tutor Dick Russell recognised his talent and descri bed him as µa natural story-teller who draws as rapidly and instinctively as other people ice a cake.¶ Taken from notes in Dolores Mitchell Archive. 9 8 designed to retain relief patterns drawn into it, but set hard as normal concrete.11 He showed its versatility by creating the sculpture µThe Vortex¶, a spiralling group of monoliths for display at Wexham Springs and in 1973 a series of Stations of the Cross murals for the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and Paul in Bristol. Yet, by the late 1970s the activities of the construction industry were in decline, and the Cement and Concrete Association had to reassess its position to suit a weakened market.12 Mitchell felt his career was intrinsically linked to the rise and fall of this industry and he moved abroad where he felt more appreciated, returning to Britain in the 1990s when he began to work for Harrods¶ owner Mohammed Al Fayed on a freelance basis. In the last decade, changing taste and attitudes toward heritage have meant that Mitchell¶s contribution to post-war public art practice is currently being re-examined. When we look closely at what artworks survive, a diverse range of factors have led to their destruction or protection. This has often been linked to the public or owner¶s reactions, methods of initial construction, whether the work was integral to a building, or if listing status has safeguarded individual pieces. Mitchell¶s concrete wall created for the façade of the Coventry Three Tuns Public House proved to be a robust method of construction; even when a bomb was planted outside the pub, only one small chunk of the wall came away.13 His wall mounted lions sited at the listed Water Gardens were moved to a new site in Harlow and restored when the southern part of the town centre underwent a major £60 million redevelopment in 2004. Mitchell was involved in the restoration process and he recommended that the remaining colour be removed and the concrete left in its natural state.14 11 12 Anon, µSculpture with a Rolling Pin¶, The Times, 18th November 1971, p. 16. A measure of the changing circumstances was shown by cement sales statistics. In 1950 eight million tonnes were delivered in Britain; this rose to twenty million by 1973 and had dropped to thirteen million tonnes in 1984. 13 Interview with William Mitchell at the Harrods store, 25th February 1998. 14 Interview with William Mitchell at the Harrods store, 26th September 2007. In terms of artwork directly protected by listing status, µCorn King and Spring Queen¶ is Mitchell¶s only official public art recognition. 15 This artwork became one of the association¶s most popular demonstration pieces, showing that plants and concrete could be happily married.16 At Lennig House, Croydon the internal individual pre-cast concrete reliefs made for the original office block were integrated into the redeveloped residential site in 2008. However the external cladding panels were replaced by a modern equivalent possibly thought more suitable for its change of use.17 For artists like Mitchell that possess a unique style, embracing the techniques and materials of an era, their work often has to battle against the latest fashion and concrete interventions are often hit the hardest. Mitchell¶s sun terrace at Hampstead Civic Centre was demolished in 2002 to make way for luxury apartments. His concrete facade designed for Northern Polytechnic (now London Metropolitan University) was replaced by Daniel Libeskind¶s Graduate School Building in 2004. Although Perkin celebrated the return of integrated mural design, in the case of concrete there is still hostility or at least suspicion towards its suitability as a contemporary art material. If Mitchell¶s legacy is to survive, it takes the industries that he worked with to acknowledge the technical and aesthetic advances he made, so that local authorities, planners and private and public patrons can develop a greater understanding of the value of the art in their care and work towards protecting it. Only then can these important artworks be fully appreciated for their post-war significance. Dawn Pereira 15 When the site was taken over by the company Madge Networks, the owner put the sculpture forward as he personally liked the piece and it was upgraded to II* in 1998. 16 G. Jellicoe, µThe Guelph Lecture on Landscape Design¶, Studies in Landscape Design, Vol. III, 1970, p. 38. 17 Heywood, Judith, µConverted office developments¶, The Times, 1st February 2008. [http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/propery/new_homes?article3282636.ece, accessed 7th February 2008].