cOMEDY cARPET
A NEW BLAcKPOOL IcON
Take a stroll where every step brings a new giggle as Blackpool welcomes a brand new floor covering with a difference. Our brand new Comedy Carpet sits in the shadow of the world famous Tower – and it’s one of the largest pieces of public art ever commissioned in the UK.
Artist Gordon Young, in association with leading design agency, Why Not Associates, created the Comedy Carpet. Gordon also designed the Climbing Towers that greet visitors as they arrive from the m55 motorway - his work is all about creating art, which has relevance to its surroundings.
We caught up with Gordon to find out more about the work:
How did the idea for the Comedy Carpet come about?
LDA, the landscape artists who won the resort’s competition to put something new and exciting onto the promenade, asked me to think about incorporating a text-based art work into their landscaping.
Artist Gordon Young
I had been looking at photographs of stars with The Blackpool Tower as the reoccurring backdrop to the photos - Eric and Ernie in deck chairs; Doddy; Les Dawson. It became obvious this spot had been a magnetic chuckle point for the nation. The sheer length and breadth of comedians who have performed in Blackpool over the years is amazing.
How much research did you do before starting work on the design?
Blackpool local historian Barry Band was an inspiration, and whilst we did access archives, Barry was always there - approachable and knowledgeable. I worked with Andy Altmann from Why Not Associates on this and we have a serious collection of background material from eBay, charity shops and second-hand bookshops.
How did you decide on the design and layout of the Carpet?
The Comedy Carpet is a work of art and, whilst there is an element of memorial and a lot of text, it is primarily an artwork and was structured with its own logic – based on a combination of space, cost, material and judgement.
12 H
www.visitblackpool.com H
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