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"I really needed the artwork to be a recognisable piece
Page 40
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of art and I wanted it to be a drawing. A truck is a fantastic space to put artwork on."
Alisha Miller
All very well, but what's in it for Rowntree Haulage? "There are no business advantages, but the trailer does attract interest," says Steve Rowntree. "And the project is different. As long as it didn't interfere with the business, I left Alisha to it. We are pretty busy anyway so attracting extra work isn't really the point."
The drivers were slow to come round at first but are now all supporters of the project. One of the four, Chris Phillips, is on flat work and does not drive the curtainsider. He admits he was unsure what to make of his image being on the side of a truck. "I couldn't envisage it. When I heard it was going to be a line drawing I didn't think it would be any good but the result is incredible. Thousands see it on the motorway who would not go to a gallery. It's like taking art to the people—the end result is amazing," he enthuses.
Dave Beale experiences the reaction of the
public first-hand. Along with Roger
Rowntree and Alan Ball, he takes turns in
pulling the arty curtainsider. "I was a bit wary at first when Alisha started coming here but when we got to know her, she was sound. When I delivered into Tesco, some of the other drivers teased me but everyone in the office stopped to have a look."
Art gallery
"Passengers on buses stare at you," says Beale. "Alisha's put a hell of a lot of work into it. None of us are arty. The exhibition at Stratford was the first time I had been to an art gallery, not something normally on my agenda. But it was a good night—lots of free wine!"
Alan Ball loves the uniqueness of the project. "Quite a few folk are gobsmacked. It's very good, it certainly catches the eye," he says. Roger Rowntree is equally aware of the interest. "When you drive through a town, everyone looks at you," he says. The drivers are particularly pleased by their images. "You can tell who we are from the pictures," says Chris Phillips, while Dave Beale adds: "My baby recognised me, and she's only two."
Now that she has successfully secured funding for this first mobile art project, where does Miller intend to go from here? "I want to reproduce a famous painting on the side of a truck," she says, and she is open to offers from any interested operator.
With artists like Miller around, being stuck in a queue on the M2,5 could soon be less stressful, as drivers study the moving art exhibitions in the adjacent lanes.