Robin Bell
'Teeming' 1991
Meadowhall Shopping Centre
bronze

Description:.
Three steelworkers are engaged in teeming. They display the strenuous nature of this process. The figures, slightly larger than life, are set in the middle of one of Meadowhall's 'streets'.

Inscriptions:
In bronze on base behind teemer: "Teeming" / by / Robin Bell / 1989-90
Two identical bronze plaques, one at front of work and one at side by teemer:
BENJAMIN HUNTSMAN (1704-1770)
WAS A CLOCK & WATCHMAKER FROM
DONCASTER WHO CAME TO SHEFFIELD IN SEARCH
OF QUALITY STEEL FOR CLOCK SPRINGS.
THE TECHNIQUE OF STEEL MAKING WHICH HE DEVELOPED
USING CLAY CRUCIBLE POTS REVOLUTIONISED QUALITY
CONTROL & ENABLED SHEFFIELD STEEL TO
BECOME PRE-EMINENT IN THE PRODUCTION OF STEEL.
A DEVOUT QUAKER, HE ALLOWED NO PORTRAIT
OF HIMSELF TO BE MADE BUT THE CRUCIBLE
METHOD HAS REMAINED AS A TESTAMENT TO HIM.
IT WAS USED FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS.

Commission:
Stadium Developers commissioned Robin Bell to produce a piece about Sheffield.
Bell had been recommended to the Canadian-based company because his work was in a number of shopping centres in Edmonton. The artist worked from old photographs and contact with retired steelworkers, wanting as much information about the process as possible. The representation is accurate in every detail with the exception of the position of the pot being held up rather than alongside; the slag on the bottom is perfect.

Comment:
The work commemorates the industry's location in the Don Valley. Meadowhall was built on one of the largest single sites. Largely because of its accurate representation and the attendant associations, 'Steelworkers' is a very popular piece. The face of one of the figures is that of the Canadian artist, who otherwise used photographs from the collections of retired steelworkers in designing this piece.