A cycle through the deserted City last week allowed me to examine things in more detail than normal.
In particular I admired the stunning metalwork at the entrance to Brown Shipley and Co in Moorgate, right on the Lothbury Corner.
The artwork was commissioned for the new office completed here in 1975, from the artist John Poole.
He explained that “he had studied the history of the firm, and had intended to represent, in the circular forms, its centres of business, and to suggest through its linear patterns, communications running between these centres” (source Public Sculpture of the City of London, Phillip Ward-Jackson).
Personally it reminded me of these words -what do you think?
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
While inspecting closely I noticed a tiny foundry mark at the bottom.
Then to my surprise looking up the foundry, Meridian Founders, I discovered that not only had they been based around the corner from my house at one point, in Consort Road in Peckham, but they had also cast another one of my favourite sculptures in the City, Paternoster by Elisabeth Frink, in Paternoster Square north of St Paul’s Cathedral.
I cycled straight over and found the foundry mark there too, different in style but definitely the same, and also from 1975.
This is much more overtly religious in intent, with the idea of the shepherd and the link to the Our Father prayers said along this route in former times, and I never realised the link between the two artworks before.
These sort of connections are what I find most exciting about being a guide, the more you dig you more you discover.
