“Art Therapy”
Location: The Electric Barge, Grand Union Canal, London, W2 6NA
Artist: Katrina Russell-Adams
The Electric Barge has a dazzling new look, courtesy of artist Katrina Russell-Adams - known for her dynamic prints, murals, installations & sculpture.
"This piece is inspired by London canal landmarks, history, architecture and space; each abstracted shape has a waterways origin. Amongst others, the mural includes a nod to Maida Hill Tunnel, Camden Lock, the original barge-loading buildings, the Battleship Building at Paddington and the Cedric Price / Snowdon Aviary at London Zoo. The design celebrates the heritage of the water way.”
Katrina has extended the design into the boat to create an equally eye-catching interior using Haru Stuck-On Design's washi tape. Colour-drenched shapes and stripes adorn the walls, while an element of playfulness has been injected into the serious business of social distancing on board with tatami room-inspired layouts.
Events Manager, Kathryn Nicol, explains that the new look is part of The Electric Barge's response to the Covid-19 lockdown: "After a tough few months, we wanted to burst back into life when we reopened. Katrina's work embodies our positive intent and we are really excited to be welcoming guests back on to what feels like a beautiful, brand new boat.”
The Electric Barge will be running scheduled, pre-booked cruises along the Regent’s Canal from its mooring near Paddington Station. It’s a route that takes guests from the Regency townhouses of Little Venice, through the 250m long Maida Hill Tunnel, around Regent’s Park, past London Zoo and finishes amongst the buzz of Camden Market.
Crucially, all the proceeds from The Electric Barge are ploughed back into its charitable project, The Floating Classroom. This amazing learning venue has welcomed over 40,000 primary school children on board to discover and explore the heritage and ecology of London's waterways as they cruise along the Grand Union and Regent's Canals. For Katrina, this was a big part of what drew her to the project.
““I’m a passionate believer in community initiatives and making art that is accessible to all. The Electric Barge and Floating Classroom really embrace that too, so it’s been wonderful to create a new identity for them and one that has a narrative that visitors can reflect on””
The transformation of the barge has been a very personal journey for Katrina as it marks the first step to recovery from a brain injury after a fall from her bike in June. “The injury has left me facing new challenges and obstacles that I am having to learn to adapt to, however I was determined to get back to being creative. I’m very thankful to the Electric Barge & Floating Classroom Team for their support and patience during the project; let alone their confidence in me and the opportunity to kick my neural pathways in to action, hence naming the work “Art Therapy”.
