Art and the Public Realm Bristol

Developed as part of the public art scheme for Crest Nicholson’s waterside development, Secret Insustry is an integrated artwork by London based artist John Pym.

The stairwells and lift lobbies of multistorey car parks are not usually areas where people pause to admire the architecture, so John Pym used this to his advantage. The model walkways and ladders replicate their full-scale counterparts and are a playful way of suggesting an alternative, unseen service industry at work within the building. Superficially mundane, some people may use the car park for years without being aware of their presence, while others will notice straightaway. The artist sees it as a reward for those who look more closely at their surroundings

John Pym’s practise involves the use of installation, film and photography. The work deals specifically with how the individual relates and reacts to their own perceived environment. He builds architectural installations that can be emotionally challenging to the onlooker, forcing them to confront their own fears and neuroses.