BLACKPOOL © Arts In Britain. Created by Stuart Russell BEM
1. Yannick Dixon, Photographer 2. Laura Havenhand, Painter 3. Joanne Berry, Sculptor 4. Chris Fenn, Painter Gordon Young, Sculptor 1. What was the main inspiration behind the “Comedy Carpet”? The ghosts, the friendly ghosts of the site. A social history of laughter makers and laughter’s. Seeing all the lists of past performers and just how many were comedians and all played at venues within a stone’s throw from the site! 2. Public art often has to please a large number of people, is this an easy task? I don’t really think much about pleasing people, I think about what is the right thing to do. 3. What challenges did you face in making “Comedy Carpet”? Many challenges! Most things in my working life! Technical, admin, financial problems… Timing! The sheer scale of issues made this project a challenging one. 4. Do you think comedy should play a more important role within art? The Tate gallery show highlighted the discomfort that the art world has with comedy, tagged on agendas, self-censorships... I think the art world would be comfortable with Stuart Lee and … Dawn French! Comedy is a bit too unruly though, which unnerves some people, but I do not have much interest in “within art today”. I find Dame Tracey Emin hilarious though, does that class as comedy? 5. Your artwork is very celebratory and positive, how have people responded to it? I think people have responded to it well. There are plenty of pages on trip advisor saying my public art is good. 6. What is most satisfying about the creation of public art? Possibly the experience of meeting, working, agreeing, disagreeing, taking and working with a great variety of people. It is often a real privilege. It is a very persona answer, but I guess you ask a very personal question. The aging process? Going from priority of place and place making, which is still the primary requirement for public art. However my personal satisfying element is to do with the people I meet along the way.