September 30th, 2024.



Making a vibrant welcome into Newhaven from the Lewes Road, Newhaven Town Council has created a bespoke Valley Ponds setting for ‘Knot on Call’, the result of an Art Wave installation project by Newhaven RNLI with artist Pete Hellicar.

Mayor of Newhaven, Councillor Pinky McLean-Knight met with Pete Hellicar and Newhaven Lifeboat Operations Manager Roger Cohen MBE at Valley Ponds where they chatted over sea-inspired poetry, the RNLI’s bold and reassuring colour palette and making a warm welcome into Newhaven.

Pinky McLean-Knight, said: "Knot on Call captures a great deal of what is Newhaven energy. Our town’s vibrant and hard-working spirit, a creative community, forever connected to the sea."

The installation explores the emotional nature of the sea. Hand-painted into the hull of the boat, poetic text appears to be floating in rippling water. This 'Anamorphic' effect was achieved by hand-tracing into projected text.

Pete Hellicar, explains: "The sea provides both perspective and an eternal rhythm. It is at the primal heart of us all. Both chaotic and calm, balanced yet treacherous."

To create the poems, Hellicar used the cut-up technique, popularized by writer William S. Burroughs.

"We printed some 750 words collected from seafaring-related texts and cut these into strips. Mixed and placed on a large table, the exercise of randomly selecting sentences and pairing them with others threw up surprising combinations.

"Sometimes dark, other times light and full of whimsy. The word and line selection happened over several weeks as friends and collaborators visited the studio and played with the process."

Pinky McLean-Knight added: "We hope residents and visitors will enjoy this thoughtful sea and lifeboat heritage themed invitation and welcome into our town."


Pictured: Pete Hellicar, Pinky McLean-Knight and Roger Cohen MBE. Image:RNLI/Rosalind Ashton.