GWR - Exeter St Davids
Literary Artwork
Exeter City of Literature was awarded a GWR Community Grant to create new artwork at Exeter St Davids.
The artwork celebrates the city's UNESCO designation and Devon's literary heritage, and community groups were invited to participate in the design of the artist's brief.
The artwork was unveiled on World Book Day in 2024.
Keep on reading to find how we made this artwork project a reality!
Looking for our other work with GWR? Learn about the Penguin Books Vending Machine here!
Artwork on Exeter St Davids Footbridge & Lift Footbridge
River Torridge from "Tarka the Otter" by Henry Williamson with students from St Martin's Primary School
Exeter landmarks with members of The Pelican Project
"Dracula" by Bram Stoker with Bram Stoker, NHS workers, and an Exeter College student
Burgh Island from "Evil Under the Sun" by Agatha Christie with the Exeter City of Literature team
"The Wanderer" from the Exeter Book with JRR Tolkien and GWR passengers
"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge with the artists Billy Ruffian (aka Isabel Keen) and Jack Ratcliff
Torrington from "Simon" by Rosemary Sutcliff with members of the Exeter College Animation Society
Dartmouth from "Our Tragic Universe" by Scarlett Thomas with MakeTank staff and GWR passengers
Dartmoor from "The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Arthur Conan Doyle with Exeter College students and GWR passengers
"Mortal Engines" by Philip Reeve with GWR passengers
Appledore from "The Hundred Days" by Patrick O'Brian with Exeter College students and GWR passengers
Nature of Devon with The Pelican Project members and GWR passengers
The Devon & Exeter Institution with Libraries Unlimited staff and GWR passengers
Okehampton featured in folk songs by Sabine Baring-Gould with Sabine Baring-Gould and GWR passengers
Iddesleigh from "War Horse" by Michael Morpurgo with The Pelican Project members, Michael Morpurgo, and GWR passengers
"Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie with NHS staff and GWR passengers
"The Salt Path" by Raynor Winn with Exeter College students and GWR passengers
The Penguin Book Vending Machine at Exeter St Davids with GWR staff
Meet the Artists
Isabel Keen (working as Billy Ruffian) and Jack Ratcliff both grew up in Devon and met at the University of Plymouth, where they studied illustration. They currently work as illustrators.
Billy Ruffian
(aka Isabel Keen)
Billy is an illustrator and storymaker currently living in Ashburton.
During her third year at university she worked with Geevor tin mining museum in Cornwall to produce an illustrated publication and exhibition based on tin miners’ oral histories, a project which explored the interaction between community, heritage, and public engagement.
Jack is an artist and illustrator based in Plymouth, and is passionate about the ways in which image-making can express aspects of the shared human experience.
In his third year of university he was selected to attend the Angoulême Comics Festival as part of the Exeter UNESCO City of Literature cohort, which was an incredible and enlightening experience for him.
Printed & Installed by Creative Solutions.
Literary Art at Exeter St Davids
Deciding the Artists
We worked with local community groups to understand what kind of art they'd like to see at St Davids. We also held workshops with members of the public to explore what literary themes they would like to see represented in the artwork.
A panel assembled in October 2023 and met with the shortlisted creatives to learn more about their proposals - Billy Ruffian (Isabel Keen) and Jack Ratcliff were then selected as the artists for the project!
THE PANELISTS
Anna Cohn Orchard, Executive Director of Exeter City of Literature
Ashley Potter, BA Illustration Programme Lead at the University of Plymouth
Laura, an artist and member of The Pelican Project
Nick Jarvis, a recent graduate of Exeter College
Scotty Gillespie, a local artist
“Isabel and Jack’s vision and passion blew the panel away. Their idea celebrates Devon’s literary heritage and shows that books can take you anywhere. We can’t wait to unveil what will be an eye-catching and exciting piece of work in 2024”
“We’re thrilled to be working alongside Exeter City of Literature once again to support such an exciting and collaborative project.
We’re looking forward to seeing Isabel and Jack’s work take pride of place at Exeter St Davids station, as it gives our customers a warm welcome to the city, celebrating rail travel and Devon’s literary history.”
Literary Art at Exeter St Davids
Community Involvement
We worked with with local arts facilitators George Barron from Positive Light Projects and Megan Dowsett to hold community group sessions to better understand what kind of art they'd like to see at St Davids and how Devon's literary heritage can be celebrated in art. We also heard from the general public and commuters at Exeter St Davids.
Check out some pictures from the consultation sessions we conducted with community groups and the general public!
Exeter College participants at a Community Involvement session.
A community involvement session taking place at Exeter St Davids.
A community involvement session taking place at Exeter St Davids.
Participants wanted to see Exeter’s hidden literary stories such as the first female librarian at the Devon & Exeter Institution and the connection to Penguin.
Participants wanted to see local artists and work that reflected on the local area's literary history.
We asked commuters at Exeter St Davids where in the station they would like to see the artwork.
We worked with students at Exeter College to reflect on what they would want to see in the artwork.
We also heard from students at St Martin's Primary School.
We asked St Martin's primary school students where in the station they would want to see the artwork.
Participants from St Martin's primary school wanted to see Devon’s successful contemporary authors (i.e. Michael Morpurgo and Hilary Mantel) represented in the artwork.
We also heard from St Martin's students about the tone and style of artwork they would like to see.
Participants want a colourful and eye-catching piece, but with a calm aesthetic (the latter was particularly popular with children).
Participants wanted to see inclusivity and diversity of who is represented in the artwork, from readers to writers.
We worked with students at Exeter College to reflect on what they would want to see in the artwork.
We also heard feedback from Societies from the University of Exeter.
Participants wanted to see the mystery genre represented, leaning heavily on the Agatha Christie and Bram Stoker connections as well as Devon’s gothic nature and scenery.
The Pelican Project responded to what they would want to see at Exeter St Davids.
The Pelican Project responded to what they would want to see at Exeter St Davids.