Eye Opener

Hundreds and Thousands UK

Earlier this year, the latest installation from artist Liz West was unveiled on London’s Greenwich Peninsula. Wrapped around The Tide, an elevated walkway that offers spectacular river views, Hundreds and Thousands was commissioned by Greenwich Peninsula as part of an ongoing exploration of colour and scale. The installation aims to harness the power of natural light to bathe visitors in a myriad of colour. Officially launched on 25 March, Hundreds and Thousands creates a 700-metre, kaleidoscopic walkway, featuring a spectrum of colours, reminiscent of the symbol of hope and resilience demonstrated by the public over the past year. Through a new lens of undulating colours that change with the light as the seasons transition, Hundreds and Thousands forms part of a series of spatial light works based on West’s research into wellbeing, human colour perception and light fields. West has become renowned for the ways in which she uses bright, primary colours to transform architectural spaces and the public realm into vivid environments that mix luminous colour and radiant light. This is part of a drive to provide a heightened sensory awareness in viewers as they experience her work. For Hundreds and Thousands, colour panels transform the glass balustrades of The Tide, creating a rhythmic display of bright shades and luminous stripes used to augment and enhance the visitor experience, and cast the structure’s striking architecture in a colourful new light. Inspired by The Tide’s architecture and design, the installation provides an immersive visual journey that explores the subtle nuances of the changing light throughout the day. The multiple reflective glass surfaces are adorned with jewel-like multi colours, that reflect the surroundings and appear to undulate as visitors move around the structure. The result is a mesmerising vision when viewed from all angles, that pays homage to the Tide’s geography and proximity to the Greenwich meridian line by acting as a sundial. West said of the piece: “The experience of seeing my work as you move along and around The Tide gives visitors a multicoloured and rich visual experience that will hopefully trigger feelings of wellbeing and joy. Hundreds and Thousands unveils unexpected delights for the senses, much like encountering the overwhelming cacophony of colour and shapes when walking into a sweet shop; the multicoloured pattern never repeats itself; juicy reflections on nearby surfaces; a spectral sundial on a sunny day.” Several cultural events have been organised for the coming months utilising the installation, and it has recently been extended to remain in situ throughout the summer. www.liz-west.com