Thames River Stairs

Thames river stairs were everywhere along the river when it was a main source of transport in London. According to the Thames Discovery website, by 1725, some 15,000 river taxis or "wherries" provided river service to Londoners. And there were 88 recorded regulated landing places where passengers could come aboard in high or low tide. These historic river stairs in various stages of erosion suggest surreal journeys to unknown destinations. Many have vanished altogether. Here are some photos of old and more recent Thames stairs.Anne Krinsky: Tide Line Thames will be on view at The Gallery Thames-Side Studios from the 8 – 25 September. Tide Line Thames is part of the the 2016 Totally Thames Festival.

     www.annekrinsky.com

Paint Jobs

I frequently walk the Thames Path to the east or west of where I live in Rotherhithe. The South Dock Boatyard and Marina lie to the east, on a last bit of the river's undeveloped shoreline. The Boatyard, like much of London, is slated for high-rise development. I like to see the boats winched up out of the water for repairs and watch as their hulls are patched, sanded and painted. The scarred surfaces are abstract patchworks, visible until a final coat of paint covers them. 

I think of the hulls of boats -- as they rise and fall with the tide -- as fair game for this project. The first image is a from a paint job in the South Dock Boatyard. The Royal Iris, (middle) was once a Mersey Ferry, and is now derelict on the foreshore in Woolwich, east of the Thames Barrier. And the crumbling paint (bottom) is from the deck of the SS Robin, the world's oldest complete steamship, now moored at the Royal Victoria Dock, awaiting further restoration. 

Anne Krinsky: Tide Line Thames will be on view at The Gallery Thames-Side Studios from the 8 – 25 September. Tide Line Thames is part of the the 2016 Totally Thames Festival.

                     

                           
                   

     www,annekrinsky.com

River Walls

I am enchanted by the architecture of the Thames’ embankments, which are etched and eroded by the tides and the passage of time. The river walls, with their worn stone and wood surfaces embellished with bright green algae, are some of London’s most beautiful structures. 

Anne Krinsky: Tide Line Thames will be on view at The Gallery Thames-Side Studios from the 8 – 25 September. Tide Line Thames is part of the the 2016 Totally Thames Festival.

www.annekrinsky.com

Tide Line Thames Receives Arts Council England Funding

I have been awarded a Grant for the Arts from Arts Council England for my project, Tide Line Thames. 

Tide Line Thames takes as its subject matter the shifting riverscape and its architectural structures -- embankments, piers and river stairs -- between the Thames' high and low tide lines. The work also will incorporate river-related historical materials from London archives.

I will create two installations which will be exhibited as part of London's Totally Thames Festivals in successive years. The first exhibition of paintings, photographs and large-scale digital scrolls will be in The Gallery at Thames-Side Studios, in September 2016. A second installation in September 2017 will be in the subterranean cylindrical space of the Thames Tunnel Shaft of the Brunel Museum, and will involve projected imagery.

As part of my research, I have been taking photographs of the river and its embankments, both from the shore and from MBNA Thames Clippers, who are supporting this project. Tide Line Thames also has received support from Global Art Supplies, Great Art and Thames-Side Print Studio. Here are some photos taken from the Greenwich foreshore:

 www.annekrinsky.com