Cycling or Cinema? James was inspired to create this illustration by a racing team riding to Paris for charity that happened to be passing the former picture house in Spital Street, Dartford. This beautiful building, designed by chartered architects J. Stanley Beard & Bennet, cannot be seen in its full glory due to the fact that the pavement is on the cinema side of the street and a canopy obscures much of the view.
The building’s life as a movie theatre faded towards the 1980’s when it became a bingo hall. As you can see, it has many admirable features. Note the repeat pattern on the surface of the render above the window; the architect’s name inset in a brick at the foot of the structure; the subtle styling of the pillars and plinths.
It’s doubtful the building will see a return to its former employment as a cinema, as nowadays the multiplex is king – with the possible exception of the Everyman cinema chain. The 1997 Jack Nicholson film ‘As Good As It Gets’ seemed an appropriate title to show alongside another classic: the 1955 French-Italian ‘Don Camillo E Peppone’.
This signed print was awarded to The Rt Hon. Jacob Rees-Mogg, Conservative Member of Parliament for North East Somerset by the Dartford Conservative Association following a talk to local party members and business leaders. The artist James Taylor presented it to Mr Rees-Mogg – a classic car enthusiast – personally on Friday 24th November 2017.
THE PRINT
This signed print is one of a limited edition. It’s recorded on Hahnemühle stock via a large format mimeograph and generally referred to as Giclée prints of premium quality. The paper is white 100% a-cellulose with a distinct textured surface and the premium matt inkjet coating more than meets the highest industry standards vis-à-vis density, colour gamut, colour graduation and image sharpness, while preserving the extraordinary touch and feel of genuine art paper. The editions depicted on Iconic Reserve are not representative of scale and solely for the purpose of suggestive display.
Signed limited edition
1 of 250, 420mm x 597mm
Recorded on Hahnemühle
Dartford collection