EXAMPLES OF PUBLIC ART INCLUDING MONUMENTS

PHOTOGRAPHED USING A LEICA Q3

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AN OLD DUBLINER WOULD UNDERSTAND THIS ART INSTALLATION BY JOHN KINDNESS [LOCATED ON SIR JOHN ROGERSON’S QUAY]

A friend living in the Docklands area mistook John Kindness’s art installation on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay for a public convenience, a misconception I suspect is shared by many. This brings to mind my own childhood visit to the Gasworks with my grandfather for a supposed “whooping cough cure,” a trip that infuriated my mother, a former wartime nurse in London, especially as I was only suffering from a touch of the flu.

Layers of Labour and Lore: John Kindness’s “Gasworks” on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay

I. Introduction: Unveiling “Gasworks” on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay

On Dublin’s Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, a striking piece of public art by John Kindness, officially titled “Gasworks” (though occasionally referred to as “Gaswork,” for instance in Nicola Gordon Bowe’s article in the Irish Arts Review), offers a vibrant commentary on the area’s rich history. The designation “Gasworks” appears to be the more formally recognised title, particularly in relation to its commissioning body.

Situated in a historically significant zone for Dublin Port and the city’s gas production, the artwork was commissioned in 2012 by Bord Gáis (now Gas Networks Ireland), the state utility responsible for gas infrastructure. Its explicit purpose is to commemorate the gas workers who were integral to this district, immediately linking contemporary public art with the tangible industrial heritage of the quay, which dates back to 1716.

The installation’s emergence in 2012 is noteworthy, coinciding with a period of significant regeneration and redevelopment in the Dublin Docklands. The Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA), established in 1997, spearheaded numerous projects aimed at transforming these former industrial landscapes into modern urban spaces. Public art was identified as a crucial element in this revitalisation, intended to enliven the area and weave new cultural narratives into the evolving cityscape. The “Gasworks” sculpture, with its focus on industrial memory, can thus be seen not as an isolated artistic gesture but as an integral part of a broader civic vision. This vision sought to mediate the Docklands’ transition from its industrial past to its contemporary identity, acknowledging historical legacies while fostering new meanings and uses for these reclaimed spaces. The commission, therefore, reflects a considered approach to urban renewal, where art plays a vital role in interpreting and honouring the heritage of place. Beyond its commemorative function, the “Gasworks” installation invites an exploration of deeper layers of meaning, including intriguing, though less immediately apparent, connections to local Dublin folklore, which we shall investigate further.

II. John Kindness: An Artist of Social Narrative and Material Wit

John Kindness, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1951 and a graduate of Belfast College of Art in 1974, has forged a significant artistic career, living and working in both Dublin and London. His body of work is characterised by a versatile engagement with diverse media, predominantly sculpture and painting, where he frequently employs traditional techniques such as mosaic and fresco painting to articulate contemporary concerns. This juxtaposition of venerable methods with modern subject matter is a defining feature of his practice. Kindness is particularly noted for his ability to contrast material, image, and reference in ways that are often unusual and imbued with a distinctive, sometimes dark, humour – a characteristic he himself attributes to a Belfast sensibility.

A consistent thread throughout Kindness’s work is his engagement with social and political commentary, historical narratives, and what he terms the “detritus of human life”. He possesses a unique ability to elevate the everyday, finding epic qualities in mundane objects or overlooked histories. This is perhaps most famously exemplified in his Treasures of New York series, created during a residency at P.S.1 in New York in the early 1990s. In these works, contemporary scenes, stylistically modelled on Athenian ceramics, are painted onto salvaged panels from New York City yellow cabs, thereby equating the vernacular of modern urban existence with the gravitas of classical antiquity. This approach suggests a recurring artistic preoccupation with an “archaeology of the present,” treating recent social histories and contemporary artefacts as though they were ancient relics awaiting interpretation.

The influence of James Joyce is explicitly cited by Kindness, particularly Joyce’s method of constructing layers of meaning and discovering profound literary potential within the seemingly insignificant ephemera of daily life. This resonates deeply with Kindness’s own artistic strategies. His 2012 Odyssey exhibition, for instance, further demonstrated this Joycean affinity, reinterpreting Homer’s epic through contemporary forms and materials, such as rendering the hazards of Scylla and Charybdis on a toilet seat.

His use of tiles and mosaic is particularly prominent and directly relevant to the vitreous enamel panels of the “Gasworks” installation. He often deploys these materials, with their domestic and sometimes static connotations, to depict dynamic and epic subjects, creating a compelling tension. This interest in the enduring quality of such materials aligns with his stated desire to create “unique and physically tangible works of art” that resist the ephemerality of modern media images.

Several of Kindness’s other public works provide essential context for understanding “Gasworks.” The Big Fish (1999) on Donegall Quay, Belfast, a 10-metre long ceramic mosaic sculpture, is a landmark piece. Its “skin” is composed of tiles decorated with texts and images relating to Belfast’s history, including contributions from local schoolchildren, and it even contains a time capsule. Commissioned to celebrate the regeneration of the River Lagan, it shares thematic concerns with “Gasworks” in its commemoration of local history, its use of ceramic-based media, and its integration of textual and visual narratives to articulate a sense of place. Similarly, The Labor Monument: Philadelphia’s Tribute to the American Worker (2010) in Elmwood Park, Philadelphia, which commemorates organised labour and the city’s working-class history, underscores Kindness’s sustained interest in labour narratives and the creation of public art that functions as an “outdoor history lesson”.

Kindness’s formative years and early career in Belfast, a city profoundly marked by social and political division and subsequent efforts at regeneration, have undoubtedly shaped his artistic vision. His early involvement with satirical magazines like “The Peoples Comic” during the Troubles demonstrates an early inclination to use art as a vehicle for social commentary, even if, as he noted, it was primarily “a matter of staying afloat and these satires were the weapons that protected our own dignity”. Furthermore, his personal connection to industrial labour, with his father having been a shipyard “driller,” provides an authentic foundation for his respectful and nuanced depictions of working-class histories. This background makes him an artist particularly attuned to the complexities of local narratives, collective memory, and the crucial role of public art in shaping and reflecting identity within transforming urban landscapes like the Dublin Docklands.

III. The “Gasworks” Installation: Artistic Vision and Industrial Homage

The “Gasworks” installation on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay is a visually striking piece, realised in vitreous enamel panels. This material, a glass-like coating fused to metal, is renowned for its durability, vibrant colour retention, and historical use in both utilitarian signage and decorative arts, making it an apt choice for a public artwork intended to endure and engage. Trico VE Ltd, a specialist firm in vitreous enamel, lists the “Dublin Gasworks – Public Art” by John Kindness as one of their projects, providing photographic evidence of the work. Images available through Alamy and Trico VE depict a long, low-lying structure composed of multiple panels. These panels are adorned with Kindness’s characteristic cartoonish, stylised figures and integrated text, narrating stories presumably related to the gas industry and the lives of its workforce. The figures are depicted in various activities, rendered in a bright and diverse colour palette that is typical of vitreous enamel’s capabilities.

A particularly intriguing aspect, noted in public discourse, is the suggestion that the artwork incorporates or is built around a functional vent, possibly related to the historical gas infrastructure beneath the quay. If accurate, this physical integration of an industrial remnant into the artwork would be a sophisticated manifestation of Kindness’s declared interest in the “detritus of human life” and his practice of giving “new life” to “well-used objects” or existing site conditions. Such an approach would transform a piece of latent infrastructure into an active component of the commemorative sculpture, directly embedding the artwork within the physical legacy of the site.

The conceptual framework of “Gasworks” is primarily rooted in the commemoration of the history of gas workers specific to the Sir John Rogerson’s Quay area. This thematic focus aligns seamlessly with Kindness’s established artistic concerns, particularly his exploration of labour history, as seen in The Labor Monument, and his consistent engagement with local narratives. The notion of the “gas man” is central, and the artwork likely aims to personify, celebrate, or recount the experiences of these individuals. Kindness’s poignant recollection of his father, a shipyard worker, and the “mosaic of metal shavings embedded in the soles of his boots” suggests a profound personal empathy and respect for industrial labour, which would undoubtedly inform his artistic approach to honouring the gas workers of Dublin.

Furthermore, Kindness’s philosophy regarding public art—his conviction that art should be relevant to the “vast majority of the population” and not confined to the rarefied atmosphere of galleries and museums—is palpably realised in “Gasworks.” The installation’s accessible location and narrative style are designed to engage directly with the community and the specific character of the place. The choice of vitreous enamel, akin to his use of mosaic, reflects a desire to create “unique and physically tangible works of art” that possess a permanence and speak “volubly several millennia after their creation,” in stark contrast to the fleeting nature of contemporary media images. The material itself, often associated with robust industrial applications and public signage, subtly reinforces the industrial theme while providing a vibrant and lasting medium.

The commissioning of “Gasworks” by Bord Gáis in 2012 is a significant aspect of its provenance. As the state-owned gas utility, Bord Gáis’s patronage signifies an official endorsement of this act of commemoration, linking the modern energy corporation with the historical lineage of the gas industry in Dublin. This connection is further evidenced by image tags on Alamy and the reference to “Board Dais” (a likely misspelling of Bord Gáis) by Trico VE. This corporate involvement underscores the artwork’s role not only as an artistic statement but also as a piece of civic memory sanctioned by the industry’s successor.

IV. Whispers from the Past: Dublin Folklore and the Gasworks Environs

The historical fabric of Sir John Rogerson’s Quay is deeply interwoven with the story of Dublin’s gas industry. The Dublin Gas Company itself was formally established by an act of parliament in 1820, and by 1824, the city was home to three operational gasworks. Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, originally laid out in the early eighteenth century and substantially rebuilt in the 1820s and again in 1869, became a pivotal location for this burgeoning industry. The Dublin Gas Act of 1883 specifically facilitated the company’s acquisition of property along the quay, which was strategically important for servicing colliers that transported coal to the nearby gas works at Hanover Quay. Initially, the gas produced was primarily for public and private lighting, gradually supplanting oil and candles, with Dublin boasting 3,750 gas lamps by 1884. Over time, the manufacturing process evolved, shifting from coal to petroleum and naphtha as feedstocks. The industry also became embedded in the city’s social memory through figures like the “glimmer man,” an officer of the Dublin Gas Company tasked with enforcing gas usage restrictions during the Second World War.

Beyond the official and industrial history, the environs of gasworks in Dublin, as in many other industrialised urban centres, became entwined with fascinating local folklore, particularly concerning health and healing. A widespread and persistent folk belief held that inhaling the fumes emanating from gasworks possessed therapeutic properties, especially for respiratory ailments like whooping cough (pertussis). This practice was not unique to Dublin; similar beliefs were documented across England, Scotland, and the United States during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The potency of this belief in Dublin is vividly captured in James Joyce’s Ulysses. In a passage set in 1904, Leopold Bloom, passing near the Great Brunswick Street gasworks, reflects, “Whooping cough they say it cures”. This literary reference provides a significant anchor, attesting to the currency of this folk remedy in Dublin at the turn of the twentieth century. Contemporary medical and observational texts also acknowledged this popular practice. The Journal of Practical Medicine and Surgery in 1864, for instance, noted that gasworks exhalations, despite often being a source of complaint for local residents, had “become a popular remedy for whooping-cough”. Similarly, the Stirling Natural and Archaeological Society proceedings for 1882-3 mentioned the inhalation of fumes from gas purifiers as an established popular treatment.

Further compelling evidence comes from the invaluable Schools’ Manuscript Collection, compiled in 1937-38, where Irish schoolchildren recorded folklore from their communities. An entry from Kildraught National School, Celbridge, County Kildare, under the heading “Whooping Cough,” explicitly states: “Keep the child near a gas works”. This direct testimony from the period underscores the persistence of the belief. Personal accounts also reinforce this tradition; Anne Hailes, writing in The Irish Times in 2023, recounted a family story of her mother and aunt being “dangled over the fumes from the burning coke” at a gasworks as children to treat their whooping cough.

While the specific term “cough hole,” as mentioned in some accounts, or analogous terms like “coughing pit” or “fume hole” are not explicitly found in the provided research materials directly associated with Dublin gasworks, the underlying practice is clear. The “cough hole” likely refers colloquially to any accessible area within or near the gasworks where individuals, particularly children, could inhale the fumes. This is conceptually similar to documented practices of holding a child’s head in a freshly dug hole in the earth to breathe its emanations for whooping cough, a cure reported in Essex and County Fife. The gasworks itself, therefore, became a site of this specific form of folk medicine.

Given John Kindness’s profound and demonstrated interest in unearthing local narratives, social histories, and embedding layers of meaning within his work, it is highly probable that he would have been aware of, or would have researched, such a potent and site-specific piece of folklore connected to the very subject of his commission. The “Gasworks” sculpture, by its very act of commemorating the gas workers and the industrial site, inherently touches upon all associated histories and memories, including these folkloric health beliefs. The stylised figures and textual elements within the artwork could subtly allude to these practices or, more broadly, to the complex atmosphere and reputation of the gasworks, which extended far beyond mere industrial production. The artwork thus has the potential to act as a mnemonic trigger, bringing these submerged or half-forgotten local histories and beliefs to the surface.

This folkloric dimension represents a fascinating intersection of industrialisation and popular belief, where a by-product of heavy industry—polluting fumes—was paradoxically reinterpreted by communities as possessing therapeutic qualities. Kindness’s “Gasworks,” in memorialising the site and its workers, indirectly brings this ambivalent historical relationship to light. The sculpture, therefore, does not merely celebrate labour; it evokes the entire socio-cultural aura of the historical gasworks, a place perceived dually as a source of environmental concern and a site of potential, albeit unscientific, healing. The figures of the “glimmer man” and the folkloric “cough hole” tradition, though distinct, both illustrate the pervasive ways in which the gasworks and its products permeated the daily lives and popular imagination of Dubliners. By focusing on the “gas man” (the worker), Kindness’s art taps into this rich seam of collective memory, where “gas” was a powerful and multifaceted presence in Dublin’s story, encompassing both official regulation and informal folk practices.

V. Critical and Public Engagement: Reactions to “Gasworks”

The unveiling of a significant public artwork often elicits a spectrum of responses, from scholarly critique to everyday public observation. John Kindness’s “Gasworks” installation appears to have garnered attention on both these fronts, reflecting its presence in Dublin’s cultural and urban landscape.

A key piece of expert commentary identified is the article titled “Gaswork” by the distinguished art historian Nicola Gordon Bowe, published in the Autumn 2012 issue (Volume 29, No. 3) of the Irish Arts Review. The Irish Arts Review also carried a preview for an article “John Kindness: Rewriting Art History” in the same edition. Nicola Gordon Bowe was an exceptional scholar with a profound understanding of Irish art, design, and craft, known for her meticulous research and her efforts to bring recognition to often-overlooked areas of Irish visual culture. Her decision to write about Kindness’s “Gasworks” is significant; it suggests that the installation was perceived as possessing qualities worthy of serious art historical consideration, likely relating to its innovative use of materials (vitreous enamel), its narrative depth, and its meaningful engagement with Irish social and industrial history—themes that resonated with Bowe’s own scholarly interests. Her engagement elevates the work beyond a simple commemorative commission, situating it within a broader discourse on contemporary Irish art and its connection to heritage. Access to the full text of Bowe’s article would undoubtedly provide deeper insights into the specific critical reception of the piece from a leading expert in the field.

Public perception and interaction with “Gasworks” are also evident, albeit through more informal channels. A Reddit thread from 2023 (posted approximately ten months prior to May 2024) reveals ongoing public curiosity about the sculpture. One contributor correctly identified the artwork by its title (“Gaswork”), the artist (John Kindness), and its commissioning by Bord Gáis in 2012, even providing a link to an Irish Independent article (though the content of this article remains inaccessible through the provided snippets). This indicates a degree of public awareness and access to information regarding the artwork’s provenance.

Another comment within the same Reddit thread offers a more anecdotal interpretation, with a user who works on the River Liffey describing the installation as “a vent” and noting, “I still can’t get a straight answer of what it actually vents but it’s owned by Board Gais, who commissioned the art around it. There might still be old tanks left underground from when the gasworks was in operation so that probably explains it”. This observation is particularly telling. It highlights how public art, especially when integrated into historically charged industrial sites, can stimulate local observation and interpretation that connects directly to the site’s past uses. The comment underscores a dynamic where the artwork is appreciated visually while also prompting questions about its literal function or deeper, perhaps unseen, connections to the industrial legacy of …the area, such as the posited old gas tanks. This suggests the artwork is successfully functioning as a catalyst for memory and curiosity, prompting viewers to consider the layers of history beneath the contemporary surface of the Docklands.

The role of Bord Gáis (now Gas Networks Ireland) as the commissioning body is crucial. Their decision to fund “Gasworks” was likely multifaceted, aiming to commemorate the heritage of the gas industry and its workforce, particularly given the artwork’s location on a site with direct historical links to gas production. This initiative aligns with a broader pattern of Bord Gáis’s engagement in arts and cultural sponsorship during that period. Notably, the Grand Canal Theatre was officially renamed the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in March 2012, the same year “Gasworks” was commissioned. This concurrent activity suggests a strategic effort by the company to cultivate a public profile through cultural investment, using art and entertainment to connect with the community and acknowledge Ireland’s heritage.

While extensive online discussions on platforms like boards.ie or Flickr within the 2012-2013 timeframe were not prominently found in the research snippets, this does not necessarily indicate a lack of public interest. It may reflect the specific search parameters or the platforms where such discussions typically occur. The presence of the artwork in stock photography, consistently captioned with its commemorative purpose, further confirms its status as a recognised public feature. The artwork seems to have settled into the urban fabric, observed and questioned by those who encounter it, fulfilling a role as a site for reflection on the area’s industrial and social past.

VI. Conclusion: John Kindness’s “Gasworks” – A Layered Urban Narrative

John Kindness’s “Gasworks” installation on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay emerges from this investigation as a multifaceted public artwork, rich in historical resonance and artistic ingenuity. Commissioned by Bord Gáis in 2012, the piece employs vibrant vitreous enamel panels to fulfil its primary role: the commemoration of the gas workers and the significant industrial heritage of this specific Dublin locale. Kindness’s distinctive artistic approach—characterised by a blend of humour, intricate narrative, profound historical reference, and the innovative use of traditional materials for contemporary thematic exploration—is fully evident in this work. The stylised figures and textual elements invite viewers to engage with the stories of labour and life that defined the area’s past.

The significance of “Gasworks” is deepened considerably by its connection to local Dublin folklore, particularly the historical belief that fumes from the gasworks held healing properties for respiratory conditions like whooping cough. While direct, explicit allusions to the “cough hole” or similar folkloric practices within the artwork’s imagery require further detailed visual analysis or statements from the artist, the very context of a gasworks-themed sculpture in this historic location inevitably imbues it with this additional layer of cultural meaning. The installation, therefore, acts as a powerful mnemonic trigger, capable of surfacing these submerged or fading local histories and beliefs, adding a poignant dimension to its commemorative function. It stands as a reminder that industrial sites were not merely places of production but also deeply embedded in the popular imagination and daily lives of communities, sometimes in paradoxical ways.

In the broader context of contemporary Irish public art, “Gasworks” serves as a compelling example of how artistic intervention can contribute to urban regeneration efforts, not by erasing the past, but by reinterpreting it and preserving crucial aspects of industrial memory. Within the rapidly transforming landscape of the Dublin Docklands, the sculpture insists on the enduring presence and value of working-class history and local narratives. It subtly challenges a purely modernist or commercially driven vision of redevelopment by anchoring the contemporary public realm in the specific, often gritty, realities of its past.

Ultimately, John Kindness’s “Gasworks” succeeds in weaving together multiple strands of meaning. It functions as an official commemoration, sanctioned by the successor to the historical gas industry; an example of artistic innovation, showcasing Kindness’s unique visual language and material sensibility; a marker of deep local history, tied to the physical site of the former gasworks; and a resonator of rich folkloric undercurrents that speak to the complex relationship between industry, environment, and community health beliefs. More than a simple monument, “Gasworks” stands as a layered urban narrative, a complex cultural marker that invites ongoing reflection on the diverse histories that have shaped Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and the city of Dublin itself. The decision by Bord Gáis to commission such a piece suggests a sophisticated engagement with corporate heritage, using art as a bridge between the industrial past and the contemporary energy landscape, fostering a connection with the community by acknowledging and validating its multifaceted history.

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