Inspired by the woollen textile industry and the landscape of the industrial era, Endless Pattern celebrates the history and development of Milnsbridge and creates a landmark for the area. The design is based on a stitched textile pattern that was used on looms in the past and is still being used today.
This has been abstracted into a symmetrical pattern that spirals up and around the three sides of the triangular tower, representing continuous movement and development. The tower stands tall, reminding us of the time when factory chimney’s dominated the skyline of the Colne Valley. Light is a key element within the artwork, illuminating the patterns at night as it slowly moves through a changing spectrum of colours.
The work also takes inspiration from photographs of Milnsbridge in the 1940’s, when the factory windows were built closely together to let in as much light as possible during the day. When night fell, the buildings took on the sense of a light sculpture themselves, as artificial light beamed through the uniform rows of windows. The sculpture is made from steel with laser cut out sections, and bolted onto a concrete base. It is lit from inside by an Led flood light.
The use of colour is a very important part of the ‘Endless Pattern’ sculpture. The continuing slow progression through a spectrum of colours represents the change from the industrial age to the digital age. Where black and white was mainly used in textiles and photography until relatively recently, we can now reproduce millions of different colours very easily using modern technology, such as the LED lighting used to light this sculpture. Also the use of colour within the work reflects the development of vibrant colours being used within the textiles industry today.
