Visual art: Walls Come Tumbling Down

Dean Lewis

In April 2023, demolition of the Newport Centre began. Newport artist, Dean Lewis decided to document the destruction of the Newport Centre, partially for posterity but also because he can’t resist rubble, decay and destruction!

Frequently, perched by a gate or looking down from the Kingsway carpark, Dean’s face became well-known to the contractors working on the site. Dean soon built up a relationship with the workmen. Unexpectedly, the project took a turn from depicting concrete, metal and heavy machinery to incorporating the workers, focusing on their warmth, humour and camaraderie. Here he tells explains how he ended up documenting the dismantling of a building which held so many memories for local people.

When it was first announced that Newport Centre was to be demolished there were many conversations about its impending death. Many people I know started reminiscing. Tales of bands they’d seen play there, stories of children learning to swim or having soft play birthday parties, memories of regular visits to the gym (stories that were alien to me) even stories of waiting in long lines for the Covid vaccine.

Nostalgia

It seemed that, now it was finally due to close, a lot of people held a warm regard for the building and the nostalgia it conjured up.

In April 2023, as the demolition work began I thought I might do a couple of drawings of the process. Partly as a historical document but probably more because I can’t resist rubble, decay and destruction.

Unexpected turn

The idea then grew into creating a small series of drawings at different stages of the building’s demise. Photos were taken. But always from the outside looking in. Over hoardings, through gates, from above using floors 3 to 5 of the Kingsway car park. But then the whole project took an unexpected turn.

No longer looking in.

People working on the site became used to seeing me taking photos and then approached me to talk about what I was doing. When I explained that I would be using the photographs to create a series of drawings and showed them examples of some of my earlier work they became interested in what I was doing.

More than that, they became very supportive. Dai Williams, site manager, gave me his phone number and we were soon in regular contact. I was no longer just looking in.

Demolition job

Regular visits were arranged (offsite) to share the progress of my drawings. Those involved in the demolition allowed me to take photographs of them. I was given dates of when certain things would be happening such as when the roof would be lifted. And they allowed me to ask question after question about the process and techniques used in the demolition.

The project was no longer just about the building but also the men whose task it was to dismantle it.

Grittiness

My hope in this project was to create beautiful drawings of concrete, brick and metal. To depict the power and grittiness of the machinery used. And to depict the forgotten men. The ones that no one seems to really notice during the demolition of a building. To somehow capture their warmth, humour and camaraderie.

Without those men this exhibition would not exist.

‘Walls Come Tumbling Down’ by Dean Lewis can be seen at the Newport Museum and Art Gallery, John Frost Square, Newport, NP20 1PA until Saturday 11th January 2025.