Photograph by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
After 5 years' hard work and £4m, an artwork which spells out over 1,000 comedians' catchphrases and jokes has finally been completed in Blackpool. The granite and cast concrete work is a 'typographic pavement' covering a space of 1,880 square metres. It has been built into the promenade at the foot of the Blackpool Tower, and features 160,000 individually cut letters ranging in height from a few centimetres to almost a metre. The work was constructed in a former fish factory in Hull.
The artwork was officially opened by comedian Ken Dodd on 10 October, and references Blackpool's rich tradition of hosting comedy performances. In a video on Blackpool Gazette's website, the artist Gordon Young points out that around 80% of the comedians quoted (including Mae West) have performed in the town.
Photo: Getty Images
Other comedians quoted in the work include Matt Lucas, Morecambe and Wise, Tony Hancock, Peter Kay, John Cleese, Kenneth Williams, Spike Milligan and Les Dawson.
To watch the video with an interview by the artist, visit:
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/lifestyle/legend_unveils_comedy_carpet_1_3857375
To read the full article from The Guardian's Northerner blog, visit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2011/oct/11/blackpool-comedy-carpet
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