As well as using the title, I also wanted to signify meaning through the work. By making the shape of the aluminium can quilt into the shape of Newham it not only contains the stories of Newham through the indexical nature of the found object, it also represents the physical nature of Newham. However, I did not want the work to become a map, or for it to be obvious, so the sculptural element is really important – and it was important that the work represented a shelter – this is where my can collecting journey began and made me really reflect on home and community, of displacement to make way for re-development of the area.
In order to shape the quilt like Newham – and bearing in mind I was working from home, so couldn’t project the image – I took photos of the aluminium quilt and then using the computer I superimposed a map of Newham on top of it and then kept re-drawing and adjusting the shape as shown above. The aluminium quilt which was originally quite organic had become more rectangular when I thought about using it as a roof for a geometric shelter, only to be adjusted again when I decided to make it into the Shape of Newham.