Lookout, Workington

Lookout is the second new public space to open as part of the redevelopment of Workington town centre, West Cumbria. Andy Plant’s design features a 15 foot high interactive mechanical clock made of steel, a clock face laid into a new paving scheme and seating which incorporates sound and light. The new space was officially opened to the public on 1 July 2006.

Andy Plant drew his inspiration for the project from elements such as Workington’s history of steel-making, and has created a work which enables people to see views of the beautiful surrounding countryside from the heart of the town centre. Artist Matt Wand’s music and recordings for the clock’s chimes were inspired by his interviews with local people. 

Lookout tells the time with its rotating minute hand suspended above head height parallel to the ground. The minutes are shown at ground level and the hour on a central ring above the main sphere. The clock is based on a ‘camera obscura’ - an image from the camera at the end of the minute hand is viewed through portholes around the body of the clock. On the hour the clock’s telescopic minute hand rises into the air to give a real time 360 degree view of Workington and the surrounding countryside. Chimes will play on the hour and on the half hour from the speakers built into the surrounding seating. 

The recordings for the clock’s  chimes use voices from interviews  with local people set to music specially composed by the artist and performed by the artist as well as local groups Stainburn Steel Band and Dearham Brass Band.

Lookout is one of a series of art schemes funded by a grant from the Northwest Development Agency and organised by Working pArts Public Art Consultancy. It represents the most creative and adventurous component of the multi-million pound regeneration of Workington Town Centre by Allerdale Borough Council and Workington Regeneration, in association with S Harrison Developments Ltd. The budget for the upgrade to the space included the cost of the design, manufacture and installation of the clock as well as new seating, high quality granite paving, trees and labour costs. 

About the artists 

Andy Plant, the designer of the clock, grew up in Sheffield and is now based in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. He studied sculpture in Wolverhampton and went on to work for Welfare State International in Ulverston, Cumbria, for ten years. Andy has a national reputation for his unique mechanical sculptures and theatrical commissions for mechanical sets and vehicles. The artist is well known for his large-scale clocks in public places, for example the Newport Clock and the lightning clock in Tyne and Wear.

Matt Wand composed and recorded the clock’s music and is based in Eccles, Salford. Matt has collaborated with and remixed many groups including Pulp, Hawkwind and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Recently he has concentrated on composing music for tv and films, and sound design for publicly sited mechanical sculptures and a commercial sound library in Los Angeles. His Sound Objects and Performances have been exhibited internationally at sites including The International Festival of Sound Art in Mexico City.

Clock Images

All the clock images featured on this page are by Charlie Hedley

Links

Allerdale Borough Council: www.allerdale.gov.uk/lookout

Artist, Andy Plant: www.andyplant.co.uk