Waterside Legacy 01

Description

Waterside Legacy 01

Acrylic and mixed media on canvas

Waterside Legacy is a personal tribute to my grandfather, John Edward Tyrrell, who served as Borough Architect for Gosport during the 1960s. The painting takes its inspiration from the distinctive mosaic artwork associated with the Waterside Tower on Gosport’s waterfront, reflecting a piece of the town’s architectural and artistic heritage that has a special significance for me.

The strong vertical forms, interlocking shapes and restricted palette of deep charcoal, cobalt blue and textured white reinterpret the language of the original mosaic through a contemporary abstract approach. Layers of texture and gestural mark-making create a sense of depth and movement, while the bold geometric composition echoes both the architectural character of the tower and the graphic quality of the original design.

Rather than attempting to reproduce the historic artwork, *Waterside Legacy* is a personal reinterpretation — connecting my own practice as an architect and artist with the work and creative legacy of my grandfather.

A contemporary reflection on Gosport, architecture, family and the enduring influence of one generation of designers on another.

This artwork measures 98.0cm x 68.0cm x 5.0cm deep overall and is in a simple white floating frame.