publications

London Road 66/81 

• Catalogue no: cantaudio038
• Year of publication: 2016
• Edition size: 300
• Binding: Double-sided 7" audio single on 70g vinyl in gatefold colour sleeve, hand numbered. Packed in hand-labelled brown envelope
• Dimensions in mm: 182 x 183

This 7” artwork was produced to mark the 2016 exhibition ‘The ballad of RAY + JULIE’ curated by Alan Dunn for Lewisham Arthouse. Seven years earlier, The Guardian's ‘Top Ten Secret Public Artworks of Britain’ included the familiar names of Moore, Hepworth, Cragg, Mach, Muñoz and Goldsworthy. At number five was a work entitled ‘RAY + JULIE’ created by artists Alan Dunn and Brigitte Jurack for London Road in Liverpool in 1995. Named after a piece of graffiti on the back wall, the two facing and sinking chairs were to be installed for six months until the road was redeveloped. Over twenty years later, RAY + JULIE remain and have inspired a body of poems, CD covers, photographs, theatre pieces, short stories, soundworks and billboards. This 7” single brings together some of the associated myths around the sculpture. In 1971, Roxy Music performed ‘Sea Breezes’ at St. George's Hall, a stone's throw from ‘RAY + JULIE’ and in 1966 Bob Dylan played at the since-demolished Odeon Cinema opposite the chairs. Every city has a London Road. Two minutes from the central train station and left behind as the city regenerates. As for London Road's two infamous residents, nobody knows who ‘RAY + JULIE’ are, but artist Jeff Young has come closest to bringing them to life. And it sounds like this.

Design of single by Martyn Rainford, with photography by Vesta Hex. Tracks originally commissioned by Electronic Voice Phenomena at St. George’s Hall and The Composers' Laboratory at METAL. Supported by Leeds Beckett University. Photographs of single by Ricky Adam.

Artists Alan Dunn, Jeff Young and Martin Heslop have collaborated on a series of audio works for BBC Radio, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatre, Tate Britain and the ICA.