'It offers us an escape, a route out of our own heads' – Adam Nathaniel Furman on public art

When it comes to public art and design, Adam Nathaniel Furman is a staunch advocate for the power of permanence.

'There is an artificiality to the temporary,' says the architect-turned-artist (he is also an author; his book, Queer Spaces, was published in 2022). His dismissal of conformity has driven him to pockets of the public realm across the UK, where his distinctive works not only indulge his obsession with the ornamental but challenge the neutrality of their surroundings. Surroundings with which he believes we have become 'so sick' as a society.

The art of Adam Nathaniel Furman

Furman is now hell-bent on proving that vibrancy has an enduring place in the built world. Through collaborations with like-minded developers and local councils, he is on a mission to deliver structures, sculptures, murals and artistic expressions across the country designed to stand the test of time – bold chromatic palettes and all.

Projects like Croydon Colonnade, a pedestrian thoroughfare in south London featuring columns clad in 3-D blue and white handmade porcelain tiles; Abundance, a vivid 50-metre curved metal art wall in Paddington; and, most recently, Cascade, a multi-hued ceramic sculpture in Hove and a collaboration with developer Moda Living. All permanent and all characterised by Furman’s trademark use of colour. It’s a tool he would rely on less, he says, if today’s urban landscape weren’t so bland by comparison. A dreary product of outdated perceptions of saleability, he adds.

'The removal of colour from the built world has become a cultural go-to linked to the idea that it can negatively impact reselling and commercial value,' he says. 'We have been conditioned to believe that if something is going to be a liquid asset, then it must not have any aesthetic that might not be considered universal.'

Ironically, however, by assuming public art and architecture will be temporary from the outset, more problems arise when it comes to development, resale and resulting impact on the wider public realm. 'When you are doing something you know is only temporary, you tend to use naked materials like paint or vinyl,' he says. 'That’s where you get the sort of garish artificiality that might dent value.'

Conversely, Furman believes that bold, attention-grabbing injections of artistic expression can add to, rather than detract from, value if approached with more vision, a bigger budget, and a view to being more permanent from the word go. Colours embedded in materials like ceramics are never, ever overwhelming. They are actually quite subtle. They change with the light; there is an air of translucency, the colour is not too bold, and people respond so well to them. 'People like this sort of art,' he says. 'It offers us an escape, a route out of our own heads.'

And a growing number of real estate players agree. Moda Living, the developer behind the Hove Central residential scheme, now home to Furman’s Cascade project, is a prime example.

'Adam has an exceptional eye for colour,' says Richard Wolfstrome, Moda Living’s public art consultant. 'But what everyone really loved, and where we saw so much value, was how that use of colour works alongside the choice of material. Ceramics have this quality and tactility that gave the work such a powerful aesthetic – impactful without being disruptive. People have started to walk out of their way just to see it.'

Of course, value isn’t always anchored by aesthetic quality alone. In Birmingham, Furman’s Livery Street Subway transformation – a once-neglected underpass brought back to life with a ceramic tile installation led by Colmore BID (Business Innovation District) - showcases how safety and connectivity can also benefit from the power of creativity.

'What was once a dark and uninviting underpass is now a bright, creative, and connected corridor that people can enjoy and feel safe using,' says Nicola Fleet-Milne, Chair of Colmore BID. 'This project is an example of how art and infrastructure can come together to improve everyday experiences in one of Birmingham's key city-centre pedestrian links.'

It all comes back to the end-user, says Furman. Whether that’s a resident, an office worker or a passer-by, his public realm work is designed for, well, the public. People who are ultimately looking for something that stands out enough to capture their attention, their imagination and perhaps even their heart.

'We like art for the same reason we like nature,' he says. 'It allows us to escape and feel calmer. The right public art can take you out of yourself for a minute, and there is so much value in that. Wonderful things can happen when the pressure towards conformity is removed.'

adamnathanielfurman.com