Skip to main content

paradise is

Douglas Atfield

Dimensions
165cm x 200cm x 200cm (structure)

Courtesy of
North Hertfordshire District Council

Centenary commission for Letchworth, the original Garden City, composed of hut structure, planting and street signs featuring the words 'paradise is a promise as well as a memory' (Joseph Rykwert). Read as an ideogram, the structure represents the original (and therefore ideal) house. The work is meant to evoke the dialogue between the familiar and the revolutionary, and some of the ideology and industry it takes to have our need for housing fulfilled. When illuminated at night, the shadow of the structure frames the lit window of the Town Hall, introducing another dimension to the work.

Douglas Atfield

Douglas Atfield

Douglas Atfield

Douglas Atfield

E58na51kmecppdibouevca Bettina Furnee

I Will Do Right

Powerhouse

Lost on the Beach

Join Axis

We support artists

Funding, visibility, connection and practical help. 

Membership includes £15 million of Public Liability Insurance!

Axis is an independent charity, funded by our members. 
Become a Member

OPEN: £50,000 directly to artists.

Axis Artist Awards 2026

The Axis Artist Awards support artists to develop their practice, test ideas, make work and keep going. 

Learn more