Efforts are under way to retrieve the three-panelled artwork by Antony James showcasing the magnificent Plantation Garden, which was commissioned for the Vauxhall Centre in 1988.
The giant painting, which stretches 26ft in length and 6ft 7inches in height, is believed to have been unveiled at the centre at the top of Chapelfield Road where it has remained for the last 38 years.
The site, owned by Norfolk County Council, was used as a community hub for people with learning disabilities until it was closed in 2020.
But speculation about the building’s possible demolition has triggered a mission to save the work led by the Norfolk Contemporary Art Society – a 70-year-old charity that promotes contemporary art and artists working in the county.
Diana Heuvel, a trustee for the group, says she has been trying for months to get access to the building and remove the painting.
She said: “I’ve been stopped by the security three times and I’ve tried the council twice but I’ve had no luck.
“The idea of a digger coming and scooping it up is so ugly. We want the painting saved. Somebody’s energy has gone into painting this and that energy should not be destroyed.”
FUTURE OF THE BUILDING
A spokeswoman for Norfolk County Council confirmed the council will grant access to the group to retrieve the painting.
She said security for the site would not allow access without prior agreement with the council and that it only received a request last week.
She added: “The Vauxhall Centre was built more than 50 years ago as a temporary structure.
“We continued to keep the building in use for as long as possible, but it has now reached the end of its effective lifecycle and has been closed for further use.
“Options for the building are still being reviewed and there is currently no final decision on next steps for the building.”
AN ARTIST’S DEPICTION
The painting is a panoramic view of Plantation Garden, which dates back to the mid-1800s when it was transformed from a chalk quarry by Henry Trevor.
In 1988, when the painting was installed, Antony James, the artist, wrote in the Plantation Garden Preservation Trust’s journal: “I’ve had room to play on the balance between ordered construct of Trevor’s eccentric architectural constructions and the lush invasiveness and disruption of nature’s own chaos.
“The scale of the painting itself has allowed the contrasts of fine detail and broader brush strokes, which are denied me when working on smaller canvases.”