Following the reveal in January of one of the UK’s largest public artworks (Here we come, Here we rise and shine, designed for the new town’s substation), this week a new artwork by the artist Steven Wilson has been unveiled in Claremont Park, the first new permanent park in Brent Cross Town. Named “Yesterday, Tomorrow”, the piece is a graphical collage of local heroes, including Zadie Smith and Helena Bonham Carter, alongside heritage stories, including aerodromes, suffragettes and “the Beast of Barnet”, all gathered from local residents.
The artwork’s bright, primary colours are displayed at the western end of the park, creating a gateway to the 180-acre new town being delivered by Related Argent and Barnet Council and will welcome visitors from Brent Cross West station when it opens later this year. It communicates much-loved stories of the area’s manufacturing, invention, arts, and folklore, and aims to inspire a sense of pride, as well as joy at the boldness of the piece.
The artwork’s creator, Steven Wilson, is now based in Brighton, and works on pieces internationally, including producing typography, design, and illustration for clients such as the Oscars, The New Yorker, Wallpaper* magazine, Sony, Warner Music, Wired and the New York Times. A previous north Londoner, he knows the area well.
Steven Wilson says: “The stories and history about Brent Cross are diverse and so my challenge as the artist was to find a visual language that could be a suitable vehicle to tell all of those different elements without compromising on its aesthetic and visual appeal. My approach therefore was to use a graphic style with flat, bold colours where elements could combine and merge seamlessly through their shapes and patterns. I wanted it to be somewhere between form and abstraction so some elements may remain hidden at first glance but emerge the longer you look!”
Morwenna Hall, Partner at Related Argent, says: “Experiencing art outdoors is an uplifting experience. This piece is a reminder of the rich history and ingenuity of north west London businesses and the contribution to culture its residents have made. Its ‘pop’ of colour in Claremont Park signposts the positive changes Brent Cross Town is delivering for the local community.”
Councillor Barry Rawlings, Leader of Barnet Council, says: “The new colourful artwork at Claremont Park is a great addition to the local area, representing the diverse history and culture of the neighbourhood in a bright and fun way”.
Brent Cross Town is being established as an exciting new neighbourhood for north London. The first permanent park, Claremont Park, opened in 2022, the first of seven parks for the area, revitalising an underused existing green space. Brent Cross Town will feature close to 7,000 new homes, 3m sq ft of office space, a new high street, three enhanced schools and 50 acres of parks and playing fields.
Close to 650 affordable, market sale and build-to-rent homes are currently under construction along with 662 student rooms in partnership with Fusion Students. Sheffield Hallam University will open its first satellite campus outside Sheffield at Brent Cross Town, and a joint venture between Audley Group and Senior Living Investment Partners will create a retirement village with around 150 homes. Brent Cross West station is due to open later this year and will be the first major new mainline station to open in London in more than a decade, connecting to King’s Cross St Pancras in as little as 12 minutes.