Not currently on display at the V&A

Untitled

Photograph
2000 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This elegant footbridge, with its distinctive spiral ramps, spans the M4 motorway near Teale. This section of the motorway is built on the site of an ancient Roman road, in an area known as 'Malpass', the word indicating a formerly treacherous, boggy area. Holdsworth's photograph eerily places the modern bridge in a landscape that hints at its ancient past and shows how the historic geography of even the most utilitarian sites affects the constructions of the present.

The model that accompanies the photograph was reconstructed from the original plans at Holdsworth's request by the Bartlett School of Architecture, London. Seen from above, the bridge's form echoes the shape of the Ionic column capital, originally found in ancient Greek architecture.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleUntitled (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
C-type print
Brief description
Colour photograph of a motorway bridge in landscape by Dan Holdsworth, 2000.
Physical description
Colour photograph of a motorway bridge in landscape.
Gallery label
This elegant footbridge, with its distinctive spiral ramps, spans the M4 motorway near Teale. This section of the motorway is built on the site of an ancient Roman road, in an area known as 'Malpass', the word indicating a formerly treacherous, boggy area. Holdsworth's photograph eerily places the modern bridge in a landscape that hints at its ancient past and shows how the historic geography of even the most utilitarian sites affects the constructions of the present. The model that accompanies the photograph was reconstructed from the original plans at Holdsworth's request by the Bartlett School of Architecture, London. Seen from above, the bridge's form echoes the shape of the Ionic column capital, originally found in ancient Greek architecture.(22/09/2004)
Credit line
Given by Dan Holdsworth and Entwistle Gallery
Summary
This elegant footbridge, with its distinctive spiral ramps, spans the M4 motorway near Teale. This section of the motorway is built on the site of an ancient Roman road, in an area known as 'Malpass', the word indicating a formerly treacherous, boggy area. Holdsworth's photograph eerily places the modern bridge in a landscape that hints at its ancient past and shows how the historic geography of even the most utilitarian sites affects the constructions of the present.

The model that accompanies the photograph was reconstructed from the original plans at Holdsworth's request by the Bartlett School of Architecture, London. Seen from above, the bridge's form echoes the shape of the Ionic column capital, originally found in ancient Greek architecture.
Associated object
E.3577-2004 (Model)
Collection
Accession number
E.3576-2004

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Record createdJune 20, 2005
Record URL
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