Matt Baker, Artworks, Assembly and Waymarkers

As residential communities go, ‘The Riverside estate’ in Govan, has some story. Situated on the heart of medieval Govan, where an early river crossing and sacred site originally existed, the community also reside on the site of Harland and Wolff’s once momentous shipyard.

This is a rich and dramatic site of huge cultural and historic importance, with many visitors unaware of what lies directly underneath them. Artist, Matt Baker, worked with the Riverside community and Glasgow Housing Association to retell stories and memories, connecting the area to its roots in a series of works (‘Assembly’ and ‘Waymarkers’) that mark the location of the legendary ‘Doomster Hill’ and create marker points on ‘Harland Way’, a new Riverside Walkway .

Quoting from Matt’s blog ‘Sacrificial Materials’, the launch of these artworks are seen not ‘as endpoints but rather that the physical sculptures should be seen as tools for continuing the momentum of change and growth in a place‘.

Photographing the artworks was a great experience, allowing me to understand and relate with the artwork and using principles of architectural photography such as orientation, lighting, and composition, on a smaller scale than a building project.