Co-op Mosaic
The Co-op Mosaic is a mural in Kingston upon Hull, England, designed by the artist Alan Boyson.[1] Commissioned by the Hull and East Riding Co-operative Society for the exterior of the end of their new store, the mural is sited at the junction of Jameson Street and King Edward Street, now a mainly pedestrianised area created for the City of Culture 2017.[2][3] The building was erected by 1963.[1][4] Depicting three stylised trawlers, it commemorates Hull's fishing fleet.[1]
| Co-op Mosaic | |
|---|---|
 The mural in 2008 | |
| Artist | Alan Boyson |
| Year | 1963 |
| Medium | Glass |
| Subject | Fishing trawlers |
| Designation | Grade II Listed building |
| Location | Kingston upon Hull |
| 53.744968°N 0.339885°W | |
The mural is made from 4,224 panels, each 1 foot (30 cm) square and each containing 225 Tesserae – cubes of Italian glass – using 1,061,775 in all.[1][5][6] The panels are fixed to a 66 by 64 feet (20 by 20 m) curved concrete screen attached to the wall.[1][3]
The mural was built to Boyson's design by Richards Tiles Ltd, subsequently part of Johnsons Tiles Ltd.[7]
Included in the mural is the Latin text res per industriam prosperae ('prosperity through industry').[1] It also includes the letters "H U L L" in the ships' masts. These appear fortuitously and not through deliberate design.[8]
After the Co-operative Society vacated the building in 1969, it was occupied by BHS from 1970 to 2016.[6]
In May 2007 the mural was locally listed by Hull City Council, who described it as a "superb example of modern public art".[9] The council subsequently pledged to retain the mural when the site is developed.[10] In November 2016 a proposal by Hull Civic Society to give the mural statutory protection at a national level was rejected.[10] The society announced its intention to appeal against the decision.[10] The mural was placed on the National Heritage List for England on 21 November 2019 at Grade II.[3]
Fish mural
An additional mural by Boyson, inside the store on the fourth floor, was rediscovered during refurbishment in 2011.[5] Depicting a shoal of fish, it is more than 22 feet (6.7 m) long and is made from ceramic tiles, marble and stone.[5] Located outside the former Skyline Ballroom (later Romeo and Juliet's nightclub), it had been hidden behind a false wall.[5] The building's then owners, Manor Property Group, announced plans to feature it in their designs for the building's decor.[5][7] It was made as part of the same commission as the exterior mural.[5]
See also
References
- "Alan Boyson, Three Ships, Italian glass mosaic, 1963". C20 Society Murals Campaign. 20th Century Society. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- Public Realm Hull City Council. Retrieved 31 March 2021
- Historic England. "Three Ships Mural (1468073)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- "Records of Hull and East Riding Co-operative Society Ltd – Archives Hub". archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- "Artist's work uncovered during refurbishment". Hull Daily Mail. 9 July 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- Harwood, Elain (2021). Mid-Century Britain: Modern Architecture 1938–1963. Batsford Books. p. 210. ISBN 978-1-84994-686-5.
- "Manor Point Development Will Help Preserve Rare Mosaic". Manor Property Group. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- Freeman, Anna. "Lost and Found". Sketches: Stories of Art and People. BBC. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- "Saved and still going strong after 55 years! The mosaic we installed for Hull Co-op". Andrews Tiles. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- "What will happen to Hull's BHS mural now?". Hull Daily Mail. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
External links
