Robert Owen 250 - Newtown

2022

Robert Owen (1771 – 1858) was a philanthropist and social reformer sometimes hailed as the father of British socialism. He was born and died in Newtown, but is also well-known for his innovative cotton mill and housing at New Lanark, Scotland. This sculpture in Newtown celebrates the 250th anniversary of his birth.

Though at his factory and throughout his campaigning life Owen championed the rights of children and the exploited workforce of the industrial revolution, the cotton for his mills came from black slave labour in Jamaica. My concept was to recognise both aspects of Robert Owen through a contemporary work of art in every sense.

The sculpture in polished white concrete resembles a large roll of cloth unfurling across green fields beyond Newtown skate park. Seen from one aspect the sculpture is a display of white cloth with the name of Robert Owen prominently engraved. But seen from the side, panels of black granite are revealed to be supporting the undulating white cloth. Bi-lingual text by Sadia Pineda and Dylan Huw engagingly explores the issues raised by the conflicting aspects of Owen’s beliefs and business.

Despite my commitment to this project from the outset, I found it an unpleasantly difficult project to pull off. In such circumstances, those that commit wholeheartedly to the project are all the more valued. A special thankyou therefore to my engineers R Vint Engineering who as ever rose to the challenge of designing the re-enforcing and lifting arrangements and to my wonderful hauliers Hughes Specialised Transport, with their big red shiney lorry that so often delivers the goods in every sense. Also to project manager Elinor Camlin for her professional and sensitive handling of a difficult project. Every difficulty does however provide a learning experience, and in future I would decline to work on a project with such an unrealistic deadline and certainly next time use my own trusted contractors.

Meanwhile, the kids of Newtown love playing on it, out in fresh air, just as Robert Owen wished!

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