Responding to Jaguars 21st Century innovation and heritage in Coventry, Patrick created an artwork referencing wider innovation from the silk patterns of the 1700s by working with the city’s Herbert Museum’s Textile Archive. He also references the 21st-century spirit and commitment of Jaguar by imposing the work directly onto a Jaguar S Type. Jaguar in Coventry champions and explores 21st-century design, research and engineering at its Whitley development centre.
The work celebrates a 300 year period in Coventry from the 1700s to today. It starts with the industrial innovation found in the historic silk patterns and weaving created locally through to the 1860s. During this period about half the city’s population made a living from ribbon weaving and Coventry was the main centre of ribbon production in England.
After 1860 ribbon weaving declined, and individuals like James Starley, known today as ‘the Father of the Cycle Industry’ and who previously created sewing machines, developed the Coventry Machinists Company with an interest in manufacturing bicycles. This helped make Coventry the centre of the British bicycle industry.
In 1877 James Starley also invented the differential gear that is now incorporated in the back axle of every car. The development of the bicycle in Coventry led to the manufacturing of motorcycles as early as 1896 including companies such as Francis-Barnett, Rudge, and Triumph.
It is through this development of the car industry that we now trace links to contemporary Coventry, and this link is strongly explored by this new artwork.
