Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey are visual artists who have collaborated since 1990.  Ecology, architecture, sculpture and photography are some of the disciplines that intersect in their work.  Often working outside the galery space and in diverse contexts, they are acclaimed for the large scale architectural interventions where they grow landmark buildings with seedling grass (images of Dilston Grove chapel and the National Gallery are pictured below).

They are both very concerned with Climate Change and the impact of human activity on wildlife.  Metal invited them to work with us on the renovation of Chalkwell Hall in Southend on Sea following our decision to transform the unused Grade II listed house into an energy efficient space for Metal and our artists’ in residence.  Their input influenced both the layout of the building and its usability for artists who come into residence in the space.  They also looked for appropriate art interventions for the building.  Two of their suggestions have recently been completed – Chalkwell Kitchen Garden and Slate Strata (pictured below).

Slate Strata is a work that is embedded into the fabric of the new veranda on the south facade of Chalkwell Hall.  It engages both with the sustainable credibility of the architectural design process and a slice of local building history. The material used in the artwork is a waste product from the roof tile industry, thin slips of slate that is crafted and laid in intensive layers to give a robust surface that is visually suggestive of geological strata. The site-specific context relates to the historical practice of building garden walls in the locale from over-heated and distorted bricks - a waste product from the brick industry. In addition, slates removed from the existing roof of the hall to accommodate the skylight will be integrated into the artwork.

The veranda wall stretches the full length of the house, nearly twenty metres in length and over two metres high. The blue-black slate provides striking contrast to the imposing white edifice of the hall creating a visually distinct presence to the south facing façade of the building.

“This has given us a prime opportunity to integrate artistic intention with architectural integrity, shaped by an awareness that the relationship between art and architecture needs to address fundamental questions about energy use and material source."