Reasons for Designation
The mural at The Three Tuns pub, Bull Yard, Coventry is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* It is a significant and unusual instance of a 1960s public art commission of high quality, related to a retail development
* It is a good example of William Mitchell's relief sculpture, being an early work in concrete, in his distinctive 'Aztec' style, using innovative and unusual casting techniques, and thus representitive of 1960s public art
* It shows Coventry's continuing tradition of encouraging public art, as it enriched the recreated streetscape with specially commissioned art works: this is a work from the 1960s, showing the continuing story of the city's rebuilding
* The building to which the mural is attached, the Bull Yard centre, is not of special interest and is excluded from the listing
Details
833/0/10153
BULL YARD
Mural at The Three Tuns pub
15-SEP-09
II
An abstract two-facetted relief mural, of 1966 by William Mitchell, forming the front elevation of The Three Tuns Pub situated in the north corner of the Bull Yard shopping complex; The Bull Yard building itself, to which the mural is attached, is not of special interest. The mural is cast in concrete with a pebble aggregate. It is circa 4m high and 11 ½ m long, with three openings for windows. The high relief panel shows abstract motifs, which could be interpreted as industrial components, such as cogwheels and spirals, but equally as a map of a city. Its design and style appear to have been influenced by Central American art. The rear of the mural, situated inside the pub, is also in relief, but is less pronounced (and now painted white). The mural forms a focal point within the public square.
HISTORY: From the mid-1940s onwards, as part of the post-war rebuilding of the inner City, Coventry introduced public art to express local pride by referring to the city's rich history, its people and its industry. This is a characteristic and increasingly rare example from the 1960s.
William George Mitchell (b 1925) studied art at the Southern College of Art, Portsmouth, and at the Royal College of Art where he won a scholarship which enabled him to study at the British School in Rome. He established the William Mitchell Design Consultants group and produced sculptures, relief murals and mosaics using a wide variety of materials, but often using concrete. He has been a member of the Design Advisory Board, Hammersmith College of Art, Trent Polytechnic, Formwork Advisory Committee and the Concrete Society. From 1953-65 he was employed by London County Council. Mainly due to his specialisation in the casting of concrete relief sculpture, he worked with many architects, including Sir Basil Spence and Sir Frederick Gibberd.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The mural at The Three Tuns pub, Bull Yard, in Coventry is listed at grade II for the following principal reasons:
* It is a significant and unusual instance of a 1960s public art commission of high quality, related to a retail development
* It is a good example of William Mitchell's relief sculpture, being an early work in concrete, in his distinctive `Aztec' style, using innovative and unusual casting techniques, and thus representative of 1960s public art
* It shows Coventry's continuing tradition of encouraging public art, as it enriched the recreated streetscape with specially commissioned art works: this is a work from the 1960s, showing the continuing story of the city's rebuilding
* The building to which the mural is attached, the Bull Yard centre, is not of special interest and is excluded from the listing
SOURCES: The Architect & Building News, 10 February 1965, pp 328-329; 1 January 1970, pp 26-27.
G Lewison and R Billingham, Coventry - New Architecture (1969), pp 40-41.
Herbert Art Gallery and Museum/ City of Coventry Libraries, Arts and Museums Department, A Survey of Public Art in Coventry, 1980, p 82.
GT Noszlopy, Public Sculpture of Britain Volume Six: Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihul (2003), pp 126 -127.
L Pearson, Public Art since 1950 (2006).
L Pearson, A Field Guide to Postwar Murals (2008), pp 69-71.
J and C Gould, Coventry Planned: the Architecture of the Plan for Coventry 1940-1978, a study commissioned by English Heritage (2009).
