Eye on the Road
by Helen Marshall, The People’s Picture (2016)
Location: Eye on the Road overlooks Tower Bridge Road and is located on Bermondsey Square, where you will also find Vitrine gallery and Kino Cinema.
Eye on the Road is the work of digital artist Helen Marshall of the People’s Picture, working collaboratively with the Southwark local history service and local photographers. The giant photo mural is made up of 1,955 images reflecting the local history and present-day activities in and around Tower Bridge Road.
“The artwork was composed of many photographs, in particular those of portraits of people who live and work in the area. These present-day portraits are juxtaposed with faces of history, kindly gathered and lent by Southwark Council’s heritage department.” Helen Marshall
The piece was jointly commissioned by Southwark Council and the local business association, the Tower Bridge Road Alliance, as part of a council initiative to boost local high streets.
Helen Marshall is an award-winning visual artist based in London. Her practice is rooted in photography, storytelling and new technology, often situated outside the gallery or museum. She set up The People’s Picture in 2016, an artist-led design studio delivering giant photo mosaic commissions in the public realm. The People’s Picture combines thousands of photographs to tell a story, commemorate an important occasion or bring attention to important social issues. Her portfolio includes exhibitions for The Horniman Museum, Tate Britain, and The Photographers’ Gallery.
Connections In 2020, Helen Marshall and The People’s Picture created Rainbows for the NHS, a giant interactive ‘mosaic of hope’, made up of thousands of pictures and stories, submitted to the People’s Picture during the COVID-19 pandemic.
