David Shearing - The Rising Sun
I’m having coffee with artist David Shearing in a local caff in Romford, discussing his practice and art in general. His friendly approach, crisp white shirt and high, quaffed hair has captured my attention but occasionally I have to hold my poker face when I’m distracted by the voices around me. I don’t think he minds, as eavesdropping on conversations is the gist of his latest installation, which I can see just over his shoulder, standing proudly at the apex of the street market. (Alternately a car park on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.) It’s title — The Rising Sun — is prominently displayed above the door of a small, shack-like structure with an inviting ramp flanked by picnic tables. Is it a pop-up pub? The intrigue is intentional, and the very direct manner of the locals has indeed led to that question being asked on more than a few occasions. Which is exactly what David wants to happen.
He was born in Romford, left at 18 and after two decades away has recently returned. The pandemic and a lack of funding forced his hand. As he recounts his youth — his mother worked in the brewery which was one of the town’s main employers until it closed in 1993 and was redeveloped into a shopping centre — it’s clear he has the type of fondness and respect for a place that can only come from having grown up there. He also has enough first-hard knowledge to justify a Blue Badge if he ever needs to pick up some spare cash, but his current focus is the lack of art galleries in Romford. I’ve only been in town for about 90 minutes and I agree with his assessment that a more overtly esoteric, “parachuted-in” style structure would probably have been actively resisted by the community.
Romford is a Greater London outer borough town with a population of around 120,000. A figure that will certainly soon change thanks to the six air-conditioned Elizabeth Line trains an hour that take you to Liverpool Street in 27 minutes. There’s an antiquated feel to the high street that must seem alien to the burgeoning youth demographic that developers are clearly aware of as they slowly begin to modernise the area, much to the chagrin of the ageing population that continue to prop up the independent cafes and venues still pervasive throughout the town centre. Change, however, is inevitable, but to quote one of the project participants: “I hope it just retains the heart of Romford”.
That’s one of the many voices you’ll hear inside The Rising Sun, a temporary installation within which you can listen to two hours of audio snippets set to soothing ambient music. That was whittled down from over 30 hours of interviews David conducted with locals he met in the malls, markets and various community groups such as Age UK, YMCA and the Diamond Geezers. The topics covered where they had come from, what they’re feeling now, their hopes for the future and what advice they’d give to their younger selves.
The process of listening in to the extracts — which are also available online — is anonymous and random. There’s no indication of age, ethnicity or demographic other than accent and any identifying features said by the participants. It’s as if you’re eavesdropping on conversations in a pub as you make your way to your mates, oblivious about who is speaking while you focus on trying not to spill your pints. Everyone interviewed was either born or raised in Romford. David tells me that “it’s very important for people to hear and recognise their own voices” and he specifically wanted to capture the lineage of East London, the almost small-town feel you can get in the outer boroughs, that “sense of warmth, integrity, honesty and directness that is distinct to here.”
It’s an intentionally hyper-local experience, and that extends to the architecture. The placement and orientation of the structure and it’s two-dozen narrow, vertical windows has been calibrated to capitalise on the path of the sun. If you’re lucky, you’ll see it on a cloud-free day, with streaming beams of light slowly working their way across uneven wooden floorboards. Laminated “menus” and beer mats in the backs of school chairs evoke the humble aspirations of a local public house.
Prior to our chat I sat inside for half an hour, just to listen and absorb. The contemplative atmosphere is momentarily broken when an elderly gentleman enters. He stays awhile with his eyes closed, while another briefly pops his head in for a look but just as quickly left. We hear a mother discuss her divorce and the empowerment it gave her. A man reflected on his pre-retirement City-worker lifestyle. A woman was exasperated at the challenges of being disabled in Romford, a town for which she repeatedly reiterated her love. And a young woman was excited by the potential of life ahead but admitted that there can be down days, too. The sun rises, and the sun sets.
As I sat in the chair, facing out towards the market, I wondered if any of these voices discussing the circularity of life had come from the people I could see browsing the stalls. I listened long enough to find themes that triggered my own contemplation, which is what the artist has intended. David’s curious about what guides you, and if you even know. He hopes you might, and that you’d be willing to share it in the guest books and/or continue the conversation afterwards. Like a memorable house guest, both the success and legacy of this work will be the conversations that were had, heard and prompted by the short two weeks it was in town.
The Rising Sun is located in Romford Market from 15 - 30 July, 2022.
Visit the official website for more info and to hear the audio clips.
Visit davidshearing.com and follow @david_shearing on Instagram for more info about the artist.
Bonus:
Here’s a brief 90 second video I took so you can see, and hear, what’s inside.