Big Rock Candy Fountain

David Batchelor

November 2010 – 27 March 2011 above Archway Tube Station

‘In the Big Rock Candy Mountains there's a land that's fair and bright
Where the handouts grow on bushes and you sleep out every night
Where the boxcars are all empty and the sun shines every day
On the birds and the bees and the cigarette trees
Where the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains’
Big Rock Candy Mountain © Harry McClintock, 1928

Big Rock Candy Fountain was an Alight commission in partnership with Islington Council with funding from Arts Council England and Transport for London.
www.davidbatchelor.co.uk

‘Illuminated colour spills out onto windows, puddles and bus shelters creating movement, colour and a sense of intense fractured vibrancy which is representative of Archway itself. It seems that Big Rock Candy Fountain has managed to furrow brows, cause consternation, engender delight and enrich some people’s relationship to their neighbourhood … it has also been ‘used’ in a number of different ways, from the prosaic to the ethereal: as a navigational tool, a meeting point, a catalyst for conversations amongst strangers at the bus stop, as an opportunity to voice concern over public spending cuts and as a spur to daydream.’
The wrong place: an evaluation of sorts, Jes Fernie, 2011

Fabricators: MDM Props
Engineers: Eckersley O’Callaghan
Lighting: Remco
Transport & installation: Beck & Pollitzer
Publication design: Europa
Publication research: Sophie Hoyle
Stills documentation: The London Sock Exchange
Video documentation: Optimistic Productions

Thank you to Roger Arnold, George Attens, Ali Bozat, Josie Baker Healsip, Margot Bannerman, Jeff Beck, Alexandra Bootherstone, Colin Brockwell, Campbell Buchan, Peter Cleak, Julia Colmenares-Stuart, Brian Constant, Pete Courtie, John Deller, Tamsin Dillon, Dave Dunnicliff, Rob Edwards, Dan Edelstyn, Thomas Falkenberg, John Foley, Tom Frith, Martyn Goodger, Charlotte Gilbert, Heidi Hammond, Brian Helcamp, Niel Horsley, Alun Hughes, Hak Hussein, Costas Jacovou, Cate Kappler, Enya Lachman-Curl, Sarah Larmouth, Barry Lucas, Dan McFadden, Tom Maine, Nyron Martin, Rowan Meacock, Tim Meaker, Jacob Meyers-Balkin, Tom Moore, Mark Nader, Cuthburt Noble, Amy Oklikah, Malcolm Payne, George Rae, Caroline Rogers, Len Rumball, Eddie Saul, Nigel Schofield, Brandon Scott, Richard Seaholme, Nicola Shilcock, Nick Shriebes, Robert Sollis, Jamie Smith, Ben Stephenson, Rebbeca Stuart, Suggs, Sinead Thorpe, Claire Tunley, Don Wall, Alister Warman, Oliver Webb, Derek White, Joe Wilson and Anna Woodward.