Coventry Knowledge
In 2016 Patrick spent two weeks as an artist in residence at Coventry Transport Museum. The purpose of the residency was to research the museum’s collection and to respond with the creation of new work for a commission in 2017. Patrick is also working with the museum for an exhibition in 2018/19.
This artwork pays tribute to the historical, and contemporary spirit of innovation, engineering and technical achievement of the men and women of Coventry – an achievement that made the city and continues today.
In this work, Patrick wanted to be able to tell the story of Coventry’s rich motoring history and the story of the London Taxi Company by creating a new piece of work that shows their history and also their future. He developed the concept ‘The Coventry Knowledge’ that holds the project together and something that can be reused in other contexts.
‘I was fascinated with the fact that London Taxis are made in Coventry, I love these vehicles, but never knew they came from Coventry!’
He wanted to create an art project that would increase awareness of historic and future car production in Coventry. The ‘Knowledge of London’ is the in-depth study of London street routes and all places of interest that London Taxi drivers must complete to obtain a licence.
‘The Knowledge of London’ was initiated in 1865, and has changed little since. Patrick decided to develop the project around this area of his research. The 6-mile radius used for ‘Knowledge of London’ perfectly frames the map by focusing on a geographical area to tell the story of the ‘The Coventry Knowledge’ transport heritage.
