Throughout the PLOT project the symbol of the water well has reoccurred, and I think this can be traced back to 2016 when Nina Humphrey showed me the remnants of her own plotland water wells in Victoria Park in Laindon. Though the shrubbery has slowly reclaimed Nina’s family plotland wells it was still traceable to her and Colin (Nina’s husband). It is a relic that is both deeply personal to Nina but also interconnected to the wider plotland history, as many plotlanders had none or very little mains services such as water, electricity or sewage. Many plotlanders relied on water wells or standpipes to survive and the decision not to connect the plotlanders to mains services was certainly a political and strategic act by the local authority at the time. This could be seen as an early act of managed decline, which subsequently laid the groundwork for the area to be designated as a new town in 1949.

In early 2020 I was invited by Metal to be a remote (covid) artist in residence at Wat Tyler Country Park in Basildon as part of Estuary Festival. For the festival I have been exploring the vast history of water wells within the Borough and their relation to local politics, displacement, diy living, folklore, geology and of course the local plotland community.

My research has taken me both overground and underground enabling me to research, data, surveys, histories and personal anecdotes surrounding waters wells in the Basildon Borough. Initially I spent time researching recorded water wells using geological survey maps to pinpoint the locations of historically prominent water wells. By taking the depth of each well I was able to imagine the crossovers and interactions taking place underground. Below are a series of Geographical Map Paintings which will feature as part of the Estuary Festival 2021.



Geographical Map Painting; Basildon. Series of 10. Dittany Emulsion part of the harvest collection on 230gsm Matt coated paper. 29.7 x 42 cm.





Geographical Map Painting; Billericay. Series of 10. Dittany Emulsion part of the harvest collection on 230gsm Matt coated paper. 29.7 x 42 cm.

Geographical Map Painting; Langdon Hills. Series of 10. Dittany Emulsion part of the harvest collection on 230gsm Matt coated paper. 29.7 x 42 cm.

Geographical Map Painting; Lee Chapel. Series of 10. Dittany Emulsion part of the harvest collection on 230gsm Matt coated paper. 29.7 x 42 cm.

Geographical Map Painting; North Benfleet. Series of 10. Dittany Emulsion part of the harvest collection on 230gsm Matt coated paper. 29.7 x 42 cm.

Geographical Map Painting; Oozedam. Series of 10. Dittany Emulsion part of the harvest collection on 230gsm Matt coated paper. 29.7 x 42 cm.

Geographical Map Painting; Stanford Le Hope. Series of 10. Dittany Emulsion part of the harvest collection on 230gsm Matt coated paper. 29.7 x 42 cm.

Geographical Map Painting; Wat Tyler. Series of 10. Dittany Emulsion part of the harvest collection on 230gsm Matt coated paper. 29.7 x 42 cm.