Artist appointed for new artwork of famous Bristolians

Date posted: 14 July 09

Bristol Festival of Ideas and Bristol Cultural Development Partnership recently announced that Simon Gurr, Bristol artist and illustrator, has been chosen to create a new permanent artwork on the theme of Some Who Have Made Bristol Famous, following a citywide call for ideas and submission of proposals. The commission, worth £10,000, is funded by donations from two Bristol patrons.

The idea for the commission was inspired by Ernest Board’s Some Who Have Made Bristol Famous (below), which is on display in Bristol’s City Museum and Art Gallery. Board’s painting features 39 individuals from 800 years of Bristol’s history gathered together in a group portrait. Among them are cricketer-physician W G Grace, chocolate manufacturer Joseph Fry, navigator John Cabot, actress Mary Robinson and educationalist Hannah More. It was presented to the city in 1930.

Some Who Have Made Bristol Famous by Ernest Board, 1930

Over 500 suggestions were received for people who might be included in the new artwork. Some from the Board painting remain, but many new faces will be included, among them politician Tony Benn, Nobel Prizewinning chemist Dorothy Hodgkin, physicist Paul Dirac, publisher Allen Lane, transport entrepreneur Sir George White, campaigner Paul Stephenson, engineer Archibald E Russell and artist Beryl Cook. There’s also Alfred the Gorilla and Aardman Animations’ Wallace and Gromit. Suggestions for Bristol icons were also received to form part of the artwork, including Concorde, Wills Woodbines and Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Andrew Kelly, Director of the Bristol Festival of Ideas and Head of the Bristol Cultural Development Partnership said today:

“We’re delighted to have appointed Simon to do this work. He is passionately committed to Bristol, has a great interest in local history and the people of Bristol, and is a brilliant artist and illustrator.”

List of figures for inclusion in new artwork

Alfred the Gorilla John Atyeo John Avery Frank Barnwell Tony Benn Ernest Bevin Elizabeth Blackwell Isambard Kingdom Brunel Edmund Burke John Cabot Don Cameron Mary Carpenter Thomas Chatterton Edward Colston Beryl Cook Paul Dirac George Ferguson William Friese Green Joseph Fry W G Grace

Cary Grant John Grimshaw Dorothy Hodgkin John James Hannah More Sir Allen Lane Johnny Morris George Oatley Samuel Plimsoll Raja Rammohan Roy Archibald E Russell Emma Saunders Sir William Slim Paul Stephenson Sir Tom Stoppard Wallace and Gromit John Wesley Sir George White Sir Stanley White Dame Monica Wills

Links

Click here to read Simon Gurr’s comments on winning the commission.