Greenwich Perspective

These are some photographs I took whilst in Trinity Buoy Wharf of the buildings and features. When I was taking photos of the area I tried to look for shapes and textures that interested me. I liked looking at the different materials on the buildings and the effect the rain had on the various surfaces. I photographed materials that looked battered and then looked at areas that were more preserved and cared for. I thought that these would be a good contrast to observed and later experiment with, because the appearance (care) of the object really changed how viewed it. If for example the lightship wasn’t as pristinely painted I might have overlooked it or even dismissed it.

These are the photos taken whilst at the Royal Naval College. This are was very different from Trinity Buoy Wharf. The style of the architecture and the painted hall in the college were influenced by classical themes. The area overall was very elaborate and lavishly decorated. The buildings were towering structures with light white washed colours, whilst the painted hall had muted, deep colours.

Here are the drawings I did for each area. I explored different types of media to try various styles, and to see what material was most effective in creating similar textures. Most of these drawings just ended up being different ways I could approach that object. For example I found that acrylic paint was the most effective to use if I wanted to create a strong visual image. It’s made the paintings solid and prominent against the background. When combined with a black fine liner it further strengthened the visibility of the shape and gave it a cartoony effect.

These are a few drawings I made from the Royal Naval College. I only really approached these drawings using pencil, yet the other studies I made from the area used acrylic and pen. Using pencil allowed me to easily sketch the features from the area. The drawings of the statue on the meridian line used orthographic projection approach: drawing multiple sketches to create a 3D representation. This could later be useful as reference if I am to create a sculpture for my brief.

Corporation of Trinity House, originally a group of volunteering shipmen and mariners was granted a charter by Henry VIII in 1514. It’s purpose was to aid the navigation of sailors. The headquarters of Trinity House were designed by James Wyatt in 1798, and they established Trinity Buoy Wharf as its workshop by the Thames in 1803. Here they made buoys and sea markers. Yachts anchored here for repairs and mooring, and the first two lighthouses were built in 1854. The lighthouse that survives today as London’s only lighthouse was designed by James Douglass in 1864. By 1910 Trinity Buoy Wharf was a huge employer of many professions including carpenters, painters and chain testers. The sites closure for the selling of navigation buys and lightships ended in 1988, when it was bought by the London Docklands Development Corporation.

Originally the location of Greenwich Palace, the birth place of Henry VIII, it is now the site of the Royal Navy college. The palace was demolished after it fell into disrepair during the English Civil wars in 1642-1647, and was instead replaced by a design for a Royal Hospital for seamen. The building of the hospital was warranted by William III, in accordance to the wishes of his late wife, Queen Mary II. Sir Christopher Wren produced the designs and work began in 1696, which was made to accommodate over 2000 veterans. However his attention was thinly spread over numerous building projects, and the work was later completed by Thomas Ripley between 1735-51. The reduced number of naval pensioners forced the hospital to close, and the buildings were later reopened in 1873 as the Royal Naval College for the education of officers. The Navy left the site in 1997 when it was taken over by an independent charity.

Trinity Buoy Wharf

Trinity Buoy Wharf is situated next to the River Thames, because the site was a central hub for ship docking and repairs. The area is accessible though the DLR and roads. Opposite the site is the O2 Dome.

Royal Navy College

Greenwich

The Royal Naval College is also right next to the River Thames. Accessible through roads and the tube too. The Royal Naval College is also built around the meridian line, which travels right up the centre between each building. Every place on Earth is measured in terms of its distance East or West from the Meridian Line.

Initial Brief IdeasWhen we had to come up with our own briefsI knew that I wanted to do something that involved illustration. With that in mind I

tried to create a brief that would involve this

approach to art.

One idea that I had was to create a story around the Royal Naval College in Greenwich. I thought that the purpose of it could be to encourage people to visit the location, and the charity who preserve the site would be a sensible choice of client. The ORNC might was to commission this to raise more money to fund the preservation of the buildings.

Another idea that I thought of would be to create a travel poster, encouraging visitors and local to engage with the history around them. It was also bolster the use of transport for companies, who could commission it.

An alternative brief could be that I have been commissioned to create a short animation retelling the history of the area.