Murals

Rupert Spira – Untitled, London

Listing: Unlisted
Condition: Good condition
Material Type: Tile
Building Type: Commercial / Industrial
Artist / Designer: Rupert Spira
Owners: Unknown
Date: 1992
Address: 100 New Bridge Street, London EC4V 6JJ
Local Authority: City of London Corporation
County: Greater London
Country: England

Until the beginning of the 1990’s, Spira was a potter at Lower Froyle in Hampshire. Whilst working at the Swallow tile Co, Spira perfected the art of interlocking geometric tiles with various complex glazes. In 1992, he received a commission from developers Rosehaugh Stanhope to build a mural at the rear of an office block on the East side of New Bridge Street in the City of London. Produced at the Froyle Pottery, the result consists of 23 beautiful handmade stoneware panels totalling 18000 tiles. The artwork is arranged as a visual game for the pedestrians. Its beautiful glazes mixing reds, blues, turquoise, green and grey from an optical illusion and the murals run the entire length of the rear elevation to the building. Financially secure from the tile making business, Spira returned to making pots after his fructuous experience in New Bridge Street.