Henry and Joyce Collins' Oxford Mural (1976/77) - Oxford Heritage Asset Register Nominations List

Location

Location of Henry and Joyce Collins’ Oxford Mural on Google Maps

What is it?

• monument or site (an area of archaeological remains or a structure other than a building)

Henry and Joyce Collins though both independently successful are best remembered through their collaborative murals, which exist still throughout the country. The pair’s first major commission occurred during the 1951 Festival of Britain, commemorating the centenary of the Great Exhibition. This piece for the Sea and Ships Pavillion attracted both national and international attention leading to further commissions across Europe throughout the following decade. In 1969 Sainsbury’s commissioned a mural from the Collins’ in their hometown, Colchester, which depicted the industrial development of the town. Sainsbury’s then commissioned additional concrete murals from the pair of a similar theme, one of which being the Cowley Shopping Centre mural. British Home Stores and a number of local authorities subsequently commissioned similar pieces from the pair, contributing to their nationally acclaimed status.

A thematic focus on the making process ties all of the murals together, with each being tailored to the industrial history and development of its host town or city. This relationship between the finished work and its context is largely down to the rigorous historical research conducted by Joyce Collins, creating a strong sense of local place within each mural. Henry largely took the lead on interpreting these key themes in drawings, which the pair then translated into the concrete friezes using polystyrene moulds, carved by hand with household tools (potato peelers, nutmeg graters and cake moulds).

In this way the Cowley mural is no different, with depictions of agricultural scenes and mechanical innovations identifiable as uniquely ‘Oxford’. Coloured glass mosaics add colour to the pieces highlighting images of the Grove Allen Hydraulic Crane, and the brown Austin-Morris Princess, an identifiably 70’s car, though also both intrinsically ‘Oxford’.

Using Lynn Pearson’s Post War Murals Database (2015) we can estimate that roughly 28 commissions for public and corporate murals were produced by the pair in the period between 1960 and the early 1980’s, though it is unknown how many of these survive. Recent drives by a number of local amenity groups (the Colchester Civic Society and Bexhill Heritage to name a few) have sought recognition of the significance of the brutalist murals, carrying out conservation works. This application is the first step towards recognising the significance of the Cowley Shopping Centre mural, in the hopes that with admission onto the heritage asset register also comes a concerted effort to protect this piece of mid-century heritage.

Why is it interesting?

• Historic interest – a well documented association with a person, event, episode of history, or local industry - 3
• Architectural interest – an example of an architectural style, a building of particular use, a technique of building, or use of materials - 2
• Artistic interest – It includes artistic endeavour to communicate meaning or use of design (including landscape design) to enhance appearance - 1

The mural is an artistic endeavour to communicate the industrial history of production in Oxford to enhance the appearance of the public realm. The piece utilises concrete and coloured glass tiles, a rare medium for public art in Oxford, with a design approach and featuring subjects which are identifiably from the 70’s yet also intrinsically ‘Oxford’ highlighting local industry in a place-centric fashion typical of the Collins’ murals.

The brutalist architectural style is also of historic and evidential value, translating the values of the 70’s with honest use of materials and accurate depictions of machinery highlighted with coloured glass cut in uniform tiles, and stylised images of agricultural scenes.

Why is it locally valued?

• Association: It connects us to people and events that shaped the identity or character of the area - 1
• Illustration: It illustrates an aspect of the area’s past that makes an important contribution to its identity or character - 2
• Evidence: It is an important resource for understanding and learning about the area’s history - 5
• Aesthetics: It makes an important contribution to the positive look of the area either by design or fortuitously - 4
• Communal: It is important to the identity, cohesion, spiritual life or memory of all or part of the community - 3

The mural depicts the industrial history of Oxford, with a particular focus on production and manufacturing within the city. This historical development of industry within the city is largely overshadowed by its medieval history, with the development of the University, and so its depiction in a piece of public art is a rare sight. This industrial history of the city, town rather than gown, largely stemmed from a workforce in East Oxford, a suburb which rapidly developed during the 19th century. The scenes depicted in this mural tie in with the context for the development of East Oxford and Cowley, portraying the industrial character and identity of the area.

What makes its local significance special?

• Age
• Rarity
• Integrity
• Oxford’s identity

Public art from the 20th century is a rare sight in Oxford due to the cities preference for its medieval heritage, and so this piece is a rare example of brutalist public art in Oxford and more specifically an even rarer example of a concrete mural within the city. Its depiction of the industrial history of the city through Oxford-made innovations also gives an insight into the less celebrated modern history of the city, whilst being instantly identifiable as a piece of artwork from the 70’s, legible due to its complete original condition lending contributing further to its special local significance.