Connection is a sculpture inspired by the industrial heritage of Middlesbrough and the railway station’s fundamental role in bringing people together.
Bridge-making with second-hand Meccano, were the starting point for the project. Helen worked with local people and students to playfully explore ideas around connectivity, using Meccano and joining materials such as thread, elastic and LED wire.
Through this initial engagement and with knowledge garnered from the North East Meccano Society, Helen designed an intricate artwork to span the new atrium space in the ticket office.
The triangular shape celebrates the most frequently used form in bridge construction, the black lines are a direct reference to the Transporter’s gondola cables and the mirrored elements, with a lighting aspect, reflect the panels within the grand entrance hall. The patterns formed with the Meccano appear more like a tapestry than an exercise in mechanical engineering. Still, in keeping with the ethos of Meccano, Helen wishes the artwork might ‘inspire the next generation of makers’.
Helen Pailing is based in the North East and makes sculptural objects and installations often made from salvaged and found materials. Her early education was in contemporary embroidery and stitching in the broadest sense of the word, underpins her practice.