Hamish Black’s Afloat

A little more than 25 years ago, a striking sculpture appeared on Brighton Beach, captivating the imagination of passersby with its unique form and thought-provoking concept. Hamish Black’s Afloat, a bronze work that reimagines the world as a floating torus, has stood the test of time, becoming an iconic landmark that continues to inspire locals and tourists alike.

Born in Braintree, Essex, in 1948, Black grew up assisting in his family’s blacksmith business. This youthful apprenticeship led to a deeper interest in making forms with metals. Aged 16, he began to study art, seven years in all - at Eastbourne School of Art, North East London Polytechnic, and the Slade School of Art. He preferred to sculpt in metal but also realised works in wood and ceramics, often using an additive process, a form of assemblage in three dimensions, as opposed to the reductive process of the stone or wood carver.

Throughout his career, Black was committed to art education, teaching at various institutions including Brighton Polytechnic, West Sussex College of Art, and Wimbledon School of Art. In the mid-1980s, he began a significant collaboration with renowned sculptor Sir Anthony Caro, which lasted for 25 years. He resides in East Sussex, but there is little sign in the media of any recent projects - his personal website has remained unaltered for some years.

Back in 1998, as part of his One World Series, Black created Afloat, commissioned by Brighton & Hove City Council and funded by the Arts Lottery. The work ingeniously transforms a traditional globe into a bronze torus, with continents drifting across its surface, allowing viewers to gaze through the world itself - both out to sea, and in towards man’s urban landscape. Afloat is 2.5 metres in diameter, weighs 2.2 tonnes, and was put in place on the seaward end of the East Street Groyne by a crane, with Black overseeing the installation. Just as the sculpture soon became known as The Donut, so, too, did the groyne become known as the Donut Groyne. 

Apart from Afloat, Black’s contributions to Brighton’s artistic landscape include works like Tree House, crafted from elms felled during the 1987 storm, and Brighton Light, a steel fabrication for the University of Brighton. 

Meanwhile, according to Brighton council, Afloat is now often the place for assignations, even proposals of marriage.

Cuttlefish and their bones

Walk along Brighton’s pebbles and you’ll soon find yourself kicking out at brilliant-white oval-shaped objects that seem to be littering the beach. If you pick one up, it feels unnaturally lightweight. These are cuttlebones, as everyone knows, the internal shells of cuttlefish. They are not the most useful or interesting of beach finds, though they can be ground into powder for polishing, and jewellers have made moulds for casting metals. Today, most commonly, they serve as dietary supplements for pet birds. However, A.Z.L, my 13-year old son, likes turning them into art! This is his Cuttlebone Helter Skelter. Other artists like to carve them into shapes and scenes.

Each spring and summer, common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) migrate to shallow waters to breed, leaving behind thousands of eggs hidden among rocks and seaweed. Shortly after spawning, the adults die, and their remains drift with the tides. Their soft bodies decompose quickly, but the cuttlebones - made of lightweight, porous calcium carbonate - float on the water’s surface before washing ashore.

The prevailing southwesterly winds push them toward shore, where they land on Brighton’s pebbles rather than sinking into sand. Unlike driftwood, which might get swept back out to sea, cuttlebones tend to linger, their ghostly forms drying in the sun. Sometimes, you’ll find them with strange marks - tiny holes left by hungry seagulls pecking at the last traces of flesh.

Cuttlefish are fascinating creatures, according to Wikipedia, sometimes called the ‘chameleons of the sea’ due to their incredible ability to change colour and texture in moments. They use this skill to mesmerise prey, communicate with each other, or simply disappear into their surroundings. Though they have eight arms like an octopus, they also have two longer tentacles that strike out to snatch fish, crabs, or shrimp. Despite their intelligence and complex behaviour, their lifespans are surprisingly short - most live only a year or two before nature takes its course - adding another cuttlebone to the Brighton shoreline.

Over time, these bones have found strange uses beyond the sea. For centuries, people have ground them into powder as a polishing agent, while jewellers have used them to make moulds for casting metals. Artists have used them to carve objects of beauty - see Stephen Hughes’ work in South Africa’s Highway Mail. Today, most commonly, they serve as dietary supplements for pet birds, providing much-needed calcium for beak and bone health. 

Cuttlefish, of course, also have ink stores used to deter predators, but they also have long served man for different purposes, as a dye (to make non-iridescent reds, blues, and greens) and for food (to darken and flavour rice and pasta).

HOVE LAGOON in murals

At the far western end of Brighton’s beach, by Hove Lagoon and just behind the sea wall and beach huts, can be found a very lively community-hearted area of leisure facilities. There are water activities in the lagoon itself, but also a vibrant cafe, a new skateboard park, and cool kids’ playgrounds. The area is particularly rich in mural art, some dating back at least a quarter of a century. In particular, the letters of HOVE LAGOON have been muralled onto the north side of the wall. My photos here show two of the letters, one taken in October 2016, and one taken last weekend.

In 2000, Brighton artist Steve Riske collaborated with local youngsters to create a 400ft mural along the raised sea wall. This initiative was part of the Splash and Paddle Appeal, a community-driven effort to revitalise the lagoon area. Notably, Hove-based actor Nick Berry was the largest single contributor to the appeal, donating £7,000 to support the project.

In July 2016, renowned street artist Aroe, with the support of local councillor Robert Nemeth, led a project to paint a mural on the wall of Hove Lagoon, starting at the skate park end. This collaboration aimed to enhance the visual appeal of the lagoon and to engage the community in the process. It included a stretch of mural spelling out the (giant) letters of HOVE LAGOON. I photographed all the letters that year (2016) - see my Graffiti Brighton blog.

The letters were redesigned and repainted, again with Aroe as the lead artist, in 2024. I have here included photos of two of the recently-painted letters alongside their original design from 2016. The new “V” mural, featuring a woman’s profile adorned with flowers, was created by @kiki_graf.inc.; and the recent Poseidon “O” mural was created by local artist Mick Mowgli. Here’s a full list of the 2024 artists responsible for each letter. 

H: SNUB23

O: Molar

V: @kiki_graf.inc

E: Drren101

L: Killerpete

A: I Am Sprite

G: Guy Favela

O: Mick Mowgli

O: Travels in Tequila

N: Aroe

Many thanks to Friends of Hove Lagoon for their help in confirming this information. Incidentally, FoHL are holding a fund-raising auction of ‘amazing artworks’ soon, on 15 March.

The Pavilion pivots 90°

Two hundred years ago, give or take a few months, this incredible image of Brighthelmstone beach and town was engraved by William Bernard Cooke after a watercolour painted the year before by the great John Mallard William Turner. The original watercolour is owned by Brighton & Hove Museums, though is not on permanent display because it cannot be exposed to light for very long.

After having been in private collections since 1830, the original watercolour came up at an auction in New York in 2012, and was purchased with help from the Art Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund and private patrons. An essay on the painting by Dr Alexandra Loske, Art Historian and Curator at the Royal Pavilion, is available on the Museums website. She explains: ‘It was of utmost importance to secure this gem, as it is one of the few paintings by Turner that shows the Royal Pavilion.[. . .] In our watercolour Turner took a few compositional liberties for the sake of the ‘picturesque’ appeal of the image, for example turning the Pavilion by about 90 degrees to ensure the whole of its east front can be seen.’

Loske continues: ‘Compared to other paintings of Brighton by Turner our watercolour provides a surprising amount of detail. Many buildings of Brighton can be identified, among them St Nicholas’s Church, the Duke of York’s hotel, and Marine Parade under construction. The most prominent building is the recently finished Chain Pier, a bold cast-iron structure that seems to be withstanding strong waves and stormy conditions and is gleaming in the sunlight. It pushes its way into the composition with all the pride and confidence we see a few years later in other great cast iron structures, such as railway bridges and stations.’

The painting is both small and detailed because it was meant to be engraved, as it was, in 1825, by Cooke. He used this and other Turner originals to illustrate his book Picturesque Views of the Southern Coast of England (freely available to view at Googlebooks). 

Prints based on the watercolour - such as my own, which, as you can see, I’ve so artfully photographed against the white iron railings of the pier and the white foamy waves beyond - were also published individually.

Art, activism, and advocacy

Found on a beach bench in Hove - a mermaid, exquisitely painted on stone. On the back is written: ‘Mermaid by PR. Please visit Morgan Rocks on FBook + post a pic + Re Hide. Thanks.’

Morgan’s Rocks is an initiative of Morgan’s Army, a South Wales charity supporting families of children diagnosed with cancer. Morgan Ridler was but two and a half when diagnosed with a large adrenal tumour in 2021. Despite an initially successful treatment, the cancer returned, and soon spread. Tragically, Morgan died in June 2023. His parents, Natalie and Matthew Ridler, established Morgan’s Army with the aim of ensuring that no child or family faces the battle against cancer alone. There’s more about the organisation on Facebook.

The Morgan’s Rocks campaign is ‘a global stone-painting initiative’ designed to raise awareness for childhood cancer and spread Morgan’s legacy. These rocks, each unique and heartfelt, are hidden to be discovered and re-discovered, with the aim of creating ‘a global tapestry of solidarity and awareness’. 

‘As these stones travel far and wide,’ the organisation says, ‘they carry with them Morgan’s legacy, ensuring that his story and the broader narrative of childhood cancer reach every corner of the world. It’s a beautiful blend of art, activism, and advocacy.’ The many journeys of these painted stones can be followed on Facebook.

Meanwhile, this mermaid, has been re-perched, on Brighton Beach, ready for her next adventure. 

David Whipp's West Pier

David Whipp, a renowned metal worker and sculptor from Brighton, died a year ago today. Born in 1943, he was celebrated for his vivid imagination and exceptional craftsmanship. He created a diverse range of sculptures, including intricate models of animals, vintage cars, motorbikes, and notable large-scale works. One of his most famous pieces was an 18-foot-long sculpture of Brighton’s West Pier, hence this memory of him here in BrightonBeach365.

David and his brother Brian were raised in Buckingham Road during the 1940s by their single mother, Jean, a wedding and ballroom dressmaker. The Argus did a story on her 100th birthday in 2003. David took a welding and soldering course in the early 1970s. He lived in Preston Road, and had his workshop elsewhere in Brighton.

David’s talent was recognized early on by art patron Lucy Wertheim, she who had supported famous artists like Henry Moore, Cedric Morris and Christopher Wood. According to the Whipp family website, David’s most important pieces include ‘The Suffragette’, the ‘Maria Colwell Statue’ (presented to Rev John Lambert for his efforts in preventing child cruelty), and an amazing 18 ft long model of the West Pier (for the West Pier Preservation Society as it was known until 1978).

On his brother’s death, Brian told The Argus, ‘[David] was well-regarded in Brighton, a character [and] very engaging. He could talk the hind leg off a donkey. He was on a business trip in South Africa around 1995 and was invited to a reception with Nelson Mandela. He was the sort of character who would get around and know people. A lot of his work was bought by private collectors. He used to go every weekend to Green Park in London in the 80s and would sell his sculptures to tourists.’

Whipp’s exhibitions in this country and abroad were very successful, according to a short bio on the family website. It also gives the following information. ‘In Bermuda all his works exhibited were sold on the first day. In 1986, the Director of Racing of the North American Championship ordered a model race car made by David to be presented as the Annual Trophy for the new Indy Car Series. His extensive work is in many galleries and private homes around the world. In his later years his sculptures, particularly his detailed models of pre and post war racing cars, were sought by foreign collectors.’

David was survived by his two partners, five children, and four grandchildren. The Argus noted that his family and the artistic community would remember him as ‘a true Brighton character and a genius with his hands, whose spirit and creations continue to inspire’. 

Modern art sublime

Today, I found this abandoned bike on Brighton Beach, beneath the pier, unwanted, unloved. Nevertheless, ChatGPT, with a little persuasion and guidance, has found it to have not only an existential soul but all the trappings of ‘modern art sublime’.

Ode to a Brighton Bike

Upon the pebbled Brighton shore,

A bike lies wrecked, it rides no more.

Its wheels once spun with daring flair,

Now caged behind a steely stare.

Rust blooms orange on its frame,

A monument to love’s disdain.

Who left it here, mid salty spray,

To languish, rot, and fade away?

A boot still clings - its sole protest,

Against this life of cruel neglect.

Once partners speeding down the lane,

Now stranded, stuck in seaside shame.

A basket, bent, with secrets kept,

Might whisper tales of rides adept.

Of groceries, or lovers’ trysts,

Now home to sand and seaweed mist.

Oh Brighton Beach, you fickle host,

To broken dreams and driftwood ghosts.

This bike, once proud, now takes its place,

Among the ruins time will erase.

So passersby, do pause and glance,

At this sad bike’s ironic stance.

A relic bound in seaside grime - 

Brighton's answer to modern art sublime.