‘Through the Lens’ Project

A collaborative project with The Colour Factory, Network Rail, The Romsey School, and Southampton University.

This project combines science and art as a way of enhancing Romsey Railway Station whilst giving the local community ownership over the artwork and display.

Sponsored by Network Rail, the project brings together Year 9 students from Romsey School, myself and Jenny from The Colour Factory and members of the science research team from Southampton University.

The original idea was to create 'portholes' into 'miniature worlds'.

This started with Southampton University bringing three of their high powered microscopes into the art room at the school.

The students had previously been out and about collecting natural objects from the station vicinity, including bark, plants, fungi, and even pieces of metal given to them by Network Rail. These were examined under the microscopes and photographed.

Next we were sent their amazing microscopic photographs for selection, and chose those that could best be reinterpreted as landscapes, planets etc. and provide backgrounds for the students 'miniature worlds’. These amazing photos were then faithfully recreated in acrylic paint on these circular cutouts by Rachael and Jenny. No easy task!

Next step, we then took the painted cutouts into Romsey School where the students were helped to create people and characters that would inhabit their miniature worlds.

These finished artworks are now installed inside the lower pedestrian tunnel at Romsey Station. We hope you will come along and have a look!

Microscopic Photograph

After I painted the porthole

After the children worked on the porthole