If you take a wander down Electric Avenue after hours you might notice something a little different, the shutters of businesses along the historic avenue have been transformed with bright and exciting patterns.
The Electric Patterns Project was funded by Lambeth Council and National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Brixton Townscape Heritage Initiative, which has funded heritage projects over the last five years.
Produced by The Brixton Project, the Electric Patterns were designed by local artists to brighten up the street after trading hours, with bold, colourful abstractions of Brixton’s essential spirit. Following an open call for designs, shop owners were able to choose from shortlisted patterns to transform their shutters.
The mapped history of Brixton features in a number of designs: textile designer Coco Cripps’ pattern takes inspiration from depictions of the area on Booth’s Poverty Map 1898-99, while Eley Kishimoto’s ‘Flowers of Brixton’ transforms the shape of Brixton’s Ward map into a decorative floral pattern, which celebrates the local area.
Coco Cripps Flowers of Brixton by Eley Kishimoto
Other creatives explored the history of Electric Avenue itself, the first market street to be lit by electric lights in the 1880’s. Sarah Henderson’s abstract piece ‘Circuits’ is made up of stylised icons inspired by electricity diagrams from that period. Electricity also features in Emma Hayes’ pattern ‘Lighbulbs’ inspired by Ankara fabrics, worn in Ghanaian cultures and sold in Brixton Market.
Lightbulbs by Emma Hayes Circuits by Sarah Henderson
The produced sold in the market are reflected in kaleidoscopic op-art design ‘Nanny Goat’ by Colourfield; Helen Murphy’s surreal, humorous homage to Magritte where a variety of foods found in the market are suspended across the shutters; whilst chillies, white aubergine and sugar apple float above the architectural roof metal structure of Market Row in Federica Dalla Vecchia work.
Nanny Goats by Colourfield Fruit & Veg by Federica Fruit & Veg by Federica
The impact of Brixton’s African and Caribbean community is also represented in designs by artist Carolyne Hill and local design studio Planarama. ‘Combs’ by Carolyne Hill is an ode to the hair shops and rituals of shopping for hair products along Electric Avenue. This majestic and Afrocentric pattern celebrates the afro and its symbolism. Planarama’s design takes inspiration from the triangular shapes of the Jamaican flag, to create a sun graphic, linking to the street’s history of light, inspired by the positive spirit of the area – through its diverse cultures, markets, community, music and history.
Combs by Carolyne Hill BA1 by Planarama
Brigitte Stepputtis’ artwork takes the dome at the entrance of the legendary grade II listed music venue Brixton Academy, now known as the O2 Academy Brixton as its starting point, exploring the Art Deco style, prominent in historic Brixton architecture.
Take a twilight stroll and keep your eyes peeled to spot every design.
