Circus Street Totem Sculpture installed in Brighton
A new public art sculpture for Brighton was installed at Circus Street this week in the form of a circus themed totem by artist Christopher Baxter, placed in the centre of a new public square in the new Circus Street cultural area created by specialist regeneration developer U + I.
The second major public art piece on site, following Sir Antony Gormley’s bollards which mark the pedestrian entrances into the development, is intended as a place marker for Circus Street.
The creator, Christopher Baxter, is a multi-disciplinary artist, furniture maker and designer who studied sculpture at Kingston University and now works in London. He is a regular visitor to Brighton and supporter of Brighton Festival.
Christopher Baxter wanted to try to capture the playful, dynamic energy of Brighton as a whole, so he re-imagined the letters of Circus as circus performers balancing on top of each other and a giant ball, to create something fun, with movement and energy.
It is made from Cor-ten steel, hard-wearing and strong, so he was able to keep a lightness to the letters without compromising on strength. Most of the fabrication was carried out by Artec Engineering in Portsmouth and then it was finished at his studio in London.
Through his work Christopher explores his own emotions and memories. He combines his own vision and iconography with ideas and imagery from ancient and classical myth and modern psychology, in an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the human psyche.
Construction is nearing completion at the new Circus Street cultural quarter, which will be home to roughly 1,500 new residents across a mix of uses including 30,000 sq ft office space, new homes for rent, student accommodation and a new Dance Studio, expected to attract upwards of 70,000 visitors a year.
Find out more at Circusstreetbrighton.com