Coralent – the name given to a pattern made of bricks – is a suspended pavilion made of hundreds of miniature bricks in homage to unrecognised makers.
Commissioned by Arts & Heritage for the 125th Anniversary of The Brickworks Museum, the work recognises the extraordinary number of people, many women and children, whose labour has been invisible in the creation of a building block so ubiquitous as to become unseen. Each brick within the work is inscribed with the initials of a worker and made from clay from their place of work.
Names remembered in the work come from the museum archive, factory reports, and an extraordinary index of 78114 makers created by David Cufley, member of the British Brick Society, whose index accompanies the artwork.
The initial installation entails thousands of bricks with the intention of the work being to continue to grow over time with an open invitation to the public to contribute names of makers from their own family.
The installation has been hung to create a circular chamber, marking the Quaker history of The Brickworks Museum site, and the Quaker practice of coming together in the round as a space of equality.
With thanks to everyone who supported this project including: Elizabeth Thomson; David Cufley; Tony Minter, Joss Minter and everyone at Bulmer Brick & Tile; Charlie Bryan; Bettina Furnee; Georgie Grace; Daniel Halford; Daniel Anderson; and the staff and volunteers at Bursledon Brick Works, in particular Brian Holford, Les Hanslip, David Payne, Helen Evans, Sue Wells, Linda Thomas and Wendy Roscoe.