| Rome
was built in fifteen days. Ten of these were spent working in residence
at the Queensgate Shopping Centre in Peterborough, England, during April
2003. The design for the
minature shopping centre was pre-fabricated using medium density fibreboard
and small TFT screens. I visited many model shops and eventually decided
to work on 'HO' scale [1:74]. This scale is used by model railway builders
in the UK.The work itself
explores several ideas. Firstly, it is a simulation - literally a shopping
centre made in a shopping centre. Secondly, I was asked to make something
with wide appeal. I pushed this idea towards what I call 'New Social
Realism'. Art made to please the maximum number of people.The work
was seen by thousands of people in the shopping centre and I spoke
to several hundred. Thanks to Dominic Thomas for expert assistance
and Mike Stubbs for the commission. |
