This painting is currently on display at The Last Gasometer and Reading’s Changing Skyline exhibition at the Reading Museum Riverside Turbine House at Blake's Lock. My painting is also part of an online exhibition which will be an physical exhibition later this year.
The story caught the attention of the press including the itv meridian news. I was one of the artists interviewed, you can watch the piece below.
I've also written a couple of poems about the gas tower:
Gas Tower reflects
Memories of train travel
London to Reading
Architectural welcome
Dominating horizon
...
Our Last Gas Tower is coming down
The final of their form in town Once the Falcon chicks took leave
We knew there'd be no more reprieve
You may wonder what caught my eye
Industrial form may pass you by
But this structure welcomed us home
From long days out where'ere we roamed
Goodbye architectural beauty
You always framed sunsets for me
Flats may be a welcome sight
But many of us mourn your flight
...
Bringing together my paintings, poems and all the information about Reading's Last Gas Tower yesterday made me sad that perhaps I wouldn't be inspired by it again. That sadness turned into creativity though, so today I present....
Four gas towers in one day
As the sun appears above the horizon
Light glints on horizontal beams
Warmed metal creaks and stretches
Neighbours greet the morning
Blue skies touch both horizons
Promising sun kissed picnic lunch
Eager children play in freedom
Clouds watch on expectantly
The wind ominously changes
Ushering darker moody skies
Pressure increases exponentially
Released with shafts of power
As the day relaxes, turning to night
Shadows spread on structural stabilisers
Easing away all worries and cares
Filling our lives with hope
