Developers defend controversial station quotations (From This Is Local London)

Developers defend controversial station quotations

7:00am Thursday 7th March 2013 in News By Hardeep Matharu

The company behind the controversial artwork on the facade of Epsom station has leapt to the defence of captions which have now gone on display.

The captions aim to capture the spirit of Epsom but have already been condemned by residents as "lame" "embarrasing" and "hideous".

They are part of the Faces of Epsom - a permanent art installation which was designed by Nick Jameson, an ex-student of the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) in Epsom, as part of a competition agreed by the station’s developers, Solum Regenation, and Epsom Council.

Each caption has been repeated a number of times on a plaque next to the heads.

They have already come under fire for their content, punctuation, grammar, and whether they remain relevant in the future.

But a spokesman for Solum Regeneration said: "We are delighted with the way the artwork appears on the new station building - it makes the building interesting and gives it a more distinct character. 

"We have also had a very positive response from passers-by and station users who like it.

"As part of the planning agreement with Epsom and Ewell Council, Solum agreed that the new development would incorporate public art, chosen from a competition of students at UCA Epsom. 

"Councillors were involved in choosing the winning design.

"The winner, Nick Jameson, developed a concept, the People of Epsom, which uses a stylised likeness of local people and their tributes to their community. 

"In 2011, Nick managed a stand in Epsom town centre giving local residents the unique opportunity of signing up to this ground-breaking art project.  

"The images and quotes are taken directly from local residents that signed up at that session and were approved by the council."

A UCA spokesman said the competition was a "fantastic opportunity" for its students to "test themselves with a real-world project and create a piece of art for the town".

He added: "We are always looking for new ways to collaborate with the local community to put the skills of our students and staff to good use and also to give something back to a town that we are so proud to be a part of."
 

What do you think of the captions? Are you one of the faces? Leave a comment below or email Hardeep Matharu on the newsdesk on hmatharu@london.newsquest.co.uk.