Jock Mooney here.
I’ve done a work called the ‘Swansea Kebab’ which will be in Castle Gardens. I chose five iconic images associated with the area and skewered them together, forming a portrait of Swansea. The idea partially came from an iconic Bonnie Tyler album cover (‘Faster than the Speed of Night’) which has a typically ‘80s laser beam travelling through Bonnie’s ears. I swapped a laser for a kebab skewer.
I’ve exhibited my works in unused shop windows on several occasions over the years, but this is actually my first ‘proper’ piece of public art, which is a realm I find fascinating – it is just such a different way to show art, and to experience it. I certainly aimed, and hope, that this ‘portrait’ will make people smile, though (like the rest of my work) it does teeter on the duality axis of humour ‘n’ horror in a sort of pantomime-ish manner. It also brings to mind some kind of Clash of the Titans styled ‘gift’ from the Gods, like many of my works there is a shrine like presence to it.
Obviously with public art you are running the risk of offending the public, or making them hate you. My work is temporary, so if the city deem it awful it at least won’t be there for ever! I do, however, hope that it will be taken well, but we’ll just have to see. It certainly isn’t what you expect to see in the centre of Swansea, at least I don’t think it is! It really is great to see something outside of the typical gallery white cube space, and I hope it introduces both locals and the rest of the world to LOCWS international, and Swansea! It is important to remind the public, and ourselves as artists, that great art projects are not just confined to major capital cities.
