Co-op Mosaic

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Co-op Mosaic
The CO-OP Mosaic - geograph.org.uk - 931102.jpg
The mural in 2008
ArtistAlan Boyson
Year1963 (1963)
MediumGlass
SubjectFishing trawlers
DesignationGrade II Listed building
LocationKingston upon Hull
Coordinates53°44′42″N 0°20′24″W / 53.744968°N 0.339885°W / 53.744968; -0.339885Coordinates: 53°44′42″N 0°20′24″W / 53.744968°N 0.339885°W / 53.744968; -0.339885

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 intersection where Jameson Street meets 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]

The mural is made from 4,224 panels, each 1 foot (30 cm) square and each containing 225 Tesserae - cubes of Italian glass - over one million in all.[1][5] 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.[6]

Included in the mural is the Latin text res per industriam prosperae ("the success of industry").[1] It also includes the letters "H U L L" in the ships' masts. These appear fortuitously and not through deliberate design.[7]

After the Co-operative Society vacated the building, it was for a time a branch of BHS.[1]

In May 2007 the mural was locally listed by Hull City Council, who described it was a "superb example of modern public art".[8] The council subsequently pledged to retain the mural when the site is developed.[9] In November 2016, a proposal by to give the mural statutory protection at a national level was rejected.[9] The society announced its intention to appeal the decision.[9] The mural was placed on the National Heritage List for England on 21 November 2019 at Grade II.[10]

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 over 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, a 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][6] It was made as part of the same commission as the exterior mural.[5]

See also[]

  • Manor Property Group

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Alan Boyson, Three Ships, Italian glass mosaic, 1963". C20 Society Murals Campaign. 20th Century Society. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  2. ^ Public Realm Hull City Council. Retrieved 31 March 2021
  3. ^ a b Three Ships Mural britishlistedbuildings.co.uk Retrieved 31 March 2021
  4. ^ "Records of Hull and East Riding Co-operative Society Ltd - Archives Hub". archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Artist's work uncovered during refurbishment". Hull Daily Mail. 9 July 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2016.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ a b "Manor Point Development Will Help Preserve Rare Mosaic". Manor Property Group. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  7. ^ Freeman, Anna. "Lost and Found". Sketches: Stories of Art and People. BBC. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Saved and still going strong after 55 years! The mosaic we installed for Hull Co-op". Andrews Tiles. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  9. ^ a b c "What will happen to Hull's BHS mural now?". Hull Daily Mail. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  10. ^ Historic England. "Three Ships Mural (1468073)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 November 2019.

External links[]

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