Safety in flowered numbers

Mature students creates roadside tribute for art show

Road safety was the message a poignant piece of artwork was promoting in the University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLan) end of year creative exhibition.

Mature student Jane Souyave, who is studying on the MA Design course, used roadside floral tributes as the inspiration to produce her own eye catching safety message for Arts Festival 09.

The 47-year-old from Great Harwood created a 30mph sign from black and white flowers while a selection of red, amber and yellow roses and greenery surrounded it.

“The colour of the roses and greenery represent traffic lights while yellow is the colour that’s most easily seen on the road,” said Jane. “Floral tributes are the most popular gift left at the scene of a road tragedy and what I’ve done is to create something which people can relate to in terms of the look of a speed sign but at the same time the flowers will die, just like the people involved in the accidents.”

Jane, who has created a chart of death hotspots in the county in the past 10 years with the help of data from Lancashire County Council, spent two years taking photographs of messages left at accident scenes.

She said: “It was quite voyeuristic stopping and reading them and I did feel like I was intruding on people’s grief but the messages were there for a reason. Some councils around the country are trying to stop people leaving roadside tributes but most people find comfort in leaving something at the spot where their loved one died. I hope my work makes a difference to people speeding and if it can save one life then it’s all been worth it.”

Her work is on display until Saturday, 20 June, in Victoria building.

19 June 2009