If you go past a bridge over the Regents Canal on the Kingsland Road you might have noticed a series of odd-looking totem poles.

You might think they’re some recent hipster art thing, and while they’re indeed art, they date from 1994 – as part of improvements works along the Hackney stretch of the Regent’s Canal carried out by the Dalston City Partnership, British Waterways and LB Hackney.

Not totems, but a lighting sculpture by Freeform Arts, who also did some murals further down the canal.

If you look closely though, they have an industrial feel to them, with gears and cogs making up some of the designs, with tunnels and bridges and locks on the other sides of the poles.

Today, the lighting bit seems to have long since been switched off — or at least has never worked when I go past. The signs explaining the heritage are painted over by local graffiti artists, who have also turned their attentions to some other parts of the poles.

A lick of paint wouldn’t go amiss, although with their design, being essentially hollow cutaway tubes, they’re quite easy to miss and their landmark status diminished.

Now, full the core up with something solid — or with a block of light, and then they’d stand out proud marking the location where road traffic and canal cross each other.

NEWSLETTER

Be the first to know what's on in London, and the latest news published on ianVisits.

You can unsubscribe at any time from my weekly emails.

Tagged with: ,
SUPPORT THIS WEBSITE

This website has been running now for over a decade, and while advertising revenue contributes to funding the website, it doesn't cover the costs. That is why I have set up a facility with DonorBox where you can contribute to the costs of the website and time invested in writing and research for the news articles.

It's very similar to the way The Guardian and many smaller websites are now seeking to generate an income in the face of rising costs and declining advertising.

Whether it's a one-off donation or a regular giver, every additional support goes a long way to covering the running costs of this website, and keeping you regularly topped up doses of Londony news and facts.

If you like what you read on here, then please support the website here.

Thank you

One comment
  1. Maurice Reed says:

    Pity the plaque in that last photo has been vandalised

Home >> News >> London Art News