Ikon and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) present a new public sculpture for Halesowen by Black Country artist Tom Hicks.
You Are Here was co-created by Hicks and members of the local community, and celebrates the local environment, its cultural heritage and identity. The sculpture is located at the Cross Street Local Travel Point in Halesowen, a public green space providing options for active and environmentally friendly local travel.
You Are Here is the first public sculpture for Tom Hicks, creator of the documentary photography project Black Country Type. The sculpture draws inspiration from Hicks’ photograph Lollipop (Oldbury) (2021), mirroring the vibrant blue and pink of the image.
“This commission from Ikon and TfWM has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the visual landscape of the Black Country. Working on a public artwork has sparked an exciting new direction for my practice – informed by my photography, I have expanded into three dimensional work and explored materials, construction techniques and paint treatments. It has been manufactured in the region that it celebrates and one of the greatest pleasures has been working directly with factories in the Black Country to fabricate the work – their time, patience and expertise has been invaluable. During our guided photo walks around Halesowen, I was also fortunate to hear local people talk with genuine warmth about the town. My art practice encourages people to observe and appreciate their immediate surroundings and the letters and symbols that appear on the artwork were all found in Halesowen.” Tom Hicks, Artist