Paper short abstract:

This papers aims to outline a typology of artistic modes of sensing place in the United Kingdom at the end of the 20th century, examining how artists have reflected on the patterns of permanence and change, and contributed through aesthetic input to the renegotiation of places

Paper long abstract:

In the 1970s, the economy in the United Kingdom was severely undermined by the petrol crisis and ongoing stagflation. Furthermore, it had also been witnessing the progressive decline of its industrial economy, when the election of Margaret Thatcher at the head of the government in 1979 announced the arrival of liberal reforms. During the 1980s, the traditional industrial sector was largely dismantled. A shift towards a service based economy became a necessity for cities which had once been at the forefront of industrial production. Within this reconfiguration, cultural actors were given an enhanced role to play. Cities could strategically invest in artistic production in order to change their images and to attract inward investment. However, institutional bodies have not been the sole promoters of a reflection on the 'sense of place'. Artists also developed independently an engagement with their changing environments, providing an alternative take on 'the pride of place'. This papers aims to outline a typology of artistic modes of sensing place in the UK at the end of the 20th century, examining how artists have reflected on the patterns of permanence and change, and contributed through aesthetic input to the renegotiation of places. We will consider a range of examples, such as the work of Locus +, the Ultimate Holding Company, East Street Arts, the Orchard Gallery in Derry, specific artists such as Richard Wilson and Antony Gormley, as well as events such as the Biennale in Liverpool and the fourth plinth programme in Trafalgar square.