"Waterfall of Souvenirs" by John Kindness
Owner: Translink Location: Europa Bus Station, Glengall Street ,Belfast Title: Waterfall of Souvenirs Artist: John Kindness Material: Ceramic Size: 5 metres Funded by: Translink , Arts Council if Northern Ireland and recognised by an award from the Association for the Business Sponsorship of the Arts(ABSA now Arts and Business). Background: The result of a collaboration between Translink and the Arts Council to mark the opening of the new bus centre in 1989 the Waterfall is an avalanche of Irish memorabilia with a strong northern accent .An Ulster Fry beside the Giant’s Causeway, presents from Bangor , Bushmills and Ballymena, one of the ideas behind the piece was to connect the places reached by Ulsterbus services. As part of his process of community engagement and participation, the artist invited donations of ceramic souvenirs from Ulster, some of which were than selected for inclusion in the finished piece. The public response was considerable. These kitch items were then ,along with specially fired ceramics, reassembled by the artist to achieve the overall design of the work. Artists Details: Well-known for his humorous and quirky visual commentaries and use of unconventional materials, John Kindness is one of Northern Ireland’s best known artists, particularly in relation to the work he has produced for public spaces including ‘Big Fish’ at Donegall Quay in Belfast (1999) and ‘Waterfall of Souvenirs’ at the Ulsterbus Station in Glengall Street, Belfast (1991). He has had solo exhibitions in the Ulster Museum, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin, Art in General, New York and Third Eye Centre, Glasgow. His work has been is included in many private and public collections including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Victoria and Albert Museum, London and the AIB Bank. |
