Wednesday 17 July 2013

The Big Wheel Keeps Turning

Hello everyone,

I hope you are all making the most of the sunshine and getting out and about. If so, VISIT UNION GALLERY NOW to see FUNPARK!

A piece in the exhibition which gets a lot of attention is this:













'Ferris Study II', screen print on aluminium, by Robin Goodall.

Earlier in the year, Robin Goodall and Norrie Harman went to Berlin to investigate the spooky Spreepark on the outskirts of the city.
Spreepark, or Kulturpark as it was know in its hey day, was built in 1969 in what was then East Germany, and was the only amusement park of it's kind in Germany.
One of its most famous attractions for the thrill seekers who visited for over 30 years was the giant Ferris Wheel which offered breathtaking views at a staggering 150 ft.
Spreepark, however, has been abandoned for the last 10 years after it was declared insolvent, and the park has been allowed to fall into disrepair.
In his screen print, Robin Goodall has captured the ghostly and desolate appearance of the Ferris Wheel perfectly - a fitting tribute that is both sad and proud, retaining some of the splendour and comanding presence of yester years.















Robin and Norrie hired bikes in order to get to Spreepark and on approach, but before actually seeing the Wheel, they could hear it creaking and slowly turning in the wind.
I like how Robin has given a fair nod to the formerly loved structure that enthralled so many people for so many years. It's as if the gargantuan structure cannot accept its fate and refuses to yield, still turning under its own steam but without the trill seekers, sad as if trying to relive its former glory. Or maybe it's just showing us its work ethic....after all, the show must go on.

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