Literary Art at Exeter St Davids
Meet the Artists
We were thrilled to receive so many applications from talented artists across Devon in response to our call-out to design new artwork for Exeter St Davids. Our selection panel had a difficult decision to make…
This commission is part of Exeter City of Literature’s ongoing work with GWR to celebrate Devon’s literary heritage and Exeter’s UNESCO designation. After a series of successful workshops in 2022 with groups from St. Martin’s Primary in Cranbrook, Exeter College, the University of Exeter’s Multicultural Students Society, The Pelican Project, and passengers at St Davids - which you can read more about below - the location of the new artwork and the themes that they would most like to see reflected in it were chosen.
The hunt was then on for the perfect artist! The quality of applications from illustrators, graphic designers, and painters was astounding, with a beautiful array of emerging and established artists. Our panel assembled in October 2023 and met with the shortlisted creatives to learn more about their proposals, and make a selection.
THE PANELISTS
Anna Cohn Orchard, Executive Director of Exeter City of Literature
Ashley Potter, BA Programme Lead in Illustration 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.
Introducing… Isabel & Jack!
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.
She is particularly interested in how illustration can contribute to interdisciplinary collaboration to make subjects accessible to a wider range of people, with a focus on history and heritage. During her third year at university she worked with Geevor tin mining museum in Cornwall to produce an illustrated publication and exhibition based on tinminers’ oral histories, a project which explored the interaction between community, heritage, and public engagement.
She has also authored and illustrated several fictional stories inspired by research into history and folklore, and likes to take inspiration from nature and human diversity.
Jack is an artist and illustrator based in Plymouth, and is passionate about the ways in which image-making can communicate and express aspects of the shared human experience.
He is especially interested in the crossover between images, language, and the unconscious mind. Something particularly exciting for him is any opportunity to use his skills to help foster a feeling of community and kinship between people.
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.
“Isabel and Jack’s vision and passion blew the panel away. Their idea celebrates Devon’s literary heritage, highlights the themes from the public workshops, and, as Jack said in the interview, 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.”
2022 GWR Community Grant
In 2022, Exeter City of Literature was awarded a GWR Community Grant to look at the feasibility of adding new artwork based on Devon's literary life to St Davids Train Station.
We worked with with local arts facilitators George Barron from Positive Light Projects and Megan Dowsett to hold community groups to better understand what kind of art they'd like to see at St Davids, how Devon's literary heritage can be celebrated in art, and where in the station the art should be to benefit rail passengers.
Community groups included children and parents at St Martin's primary school in Cranbrook, staff and students at Exeter College, the Multicultural Students Society and the Literary Society from the University of Exeter, The Pelican Project, and passengers in the waiting room on Platform 3 of St Davids.
We held six workshops with members of the public to investigate what literary themes they would like to see represented in artwork at St Davids station. They also chose where they would like to see new artwork installed. The bridges were the most popular location because participants felt it would allow for a larger, more narrative piece of art that tells Exeter and Devon’s literary story as you walk along the bridge. The same artwork will be installed on both bridges so that all passengers can view the art, including those who need to use the elevators and those who don’t.
The most popular themes that participants would like to see in the artwork were:
the mystery genre, leaning heavily on the Agatha Christie and Bram Stoker connections as well as Devon’s gothic nature and scenery.
Exeter’s hidden literary stories such as the first female librarian at the Devon & Exeter Institution and the connection to Penguin.
Devon’s successful contemporary authors (i.e. Michael Morpurgo and Hilary Mantel).
inclusivity and diversity of who is represented in the artwork, from readers to writers.
participants want a colourful and eye-catching piece, but with a calm aesthetic (the latter was particularly popular with children).
Check out some pictures from the consultation sessions!
