Artist
Site-specific art installation
Atomised was a site-specific art installation created on Bathampton Meadows, which was under threat from development plans. It helped raise media awareness and contributed to the success of a local grassroots campaign. Atomised was featured in Bath Echo, Bath Chronicle, Bath Life as well as visited by local primary schools.
The installation’s title, Atomised, can mean both the complete destruction of matter and the deconstruction of something into its separate elements. The installation attempts to capture this duality. The installation uses as its source material a photo of the meadows by a member of the local campaign group.
Making of
Atomised is based on a photograph of the meadows, taken by a member of the local campaign group Save Bathampton Meadows.
The photo was processed using software that analysed its colour space. Each colour is represented as a sphere, sized by its frequency in the image and positioned in 3D space according to RGB values. The resulting physical histogram captures the meadow’s colour diversity, set in contrast against the stark concrete of the barn, highlighting the richness, both visual and ecological, that would be lost if the area had become a car park.
Result
Many saw the Park & Ride plans as a short-term, ineffective solution to a problem that demanded car-free alternatives. Atomised offered a different way to engage with the issue, imagining one possible future for the meadows.
The installation helped keep public and media attention on the campaign, encouraging people to see the threatened landscape from a new perspective. It was featured in local newspapers and magazines and even became part of a school trip for local primary children.
After years of sustained grassroots pressure, including public engagement efforts like this, B&NES Cabinet voted to scrap plans for a fourth Park & Ride.
Impact
Working within a large, regulated organisation required careful balancing of business, user, and legal priorities. By embedding user-centred design throughout the process, I was able to influence decision-making at senior levels and deliver measurable improvements.