CRAIG WHEATLEY: SAY CHEESE - A SERIES OF 19 HANDMADE PORCELAIN ‘FLAGS’, HUNG IN THREE GROUPS OF 9, 7 & 3.

AS PART OF SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S SUMMER-LONG CELEBRATIONS FOR THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN (1951), SKYLON INVITED ARTISTS CRAIG WHEATLEY AND JOBY WILLIAMSON TO CREATE A SERIES OF WORKS FOR THE RESTAURANT. THEIR RESPONSE DRAWS ON SOME OF THE MAJOR THEMES AND MOTIFS OF THE ORIGINAL FESTIVAL WHILST CONSIDERING THE ARCHITECTURE AND DRAMA OF THE INTERIOR AND THE OPERATIONAL NEEDS OF A BUSY RESTAURANT.

BUNTING - WITH ITS ‘VILLAGE FETE’ OPTIMISM AND RETROROMANTICISM - ACTS AS A MOTIF FOR REPEATED REINTERPRETATION: AS PORCELAIN RELIEFS IN THE RESTAURANT, A NEON SWAG IN THE BAR, GIANT PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS OF VINTAGE BUNTING IN THE GRILL AND AS VINYL AROUND THE GIANT COLUMNS THAT PUNCTUATE THE SPACE.

ON A MORE PERSONAL SCALE, WILLIAMSON HAS CREATED
CHOCOLATE MOULDS BASED ON FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN
MEMORABILIA, WHILST WHEATLEY HAS PRODUCED A SERIES OF
1,000 HANDMADE BADGES AS WELL AS AN ENAMEL SET OF
LIMITED-EDITION BADGES FOR SKYLON STAFF.

‘TONIC’ AT SKYLON EMBRACES THE OPTIMISM AND AMBITION
THAT CHARACTERISE SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S FESTIVAL OF
BRITAIN CELEBRATIONS. AT THE END OF THE SUMMER, THREE PIECES OF WORK WERE SOLD IN AID OF THE FESTIVAL HALL’S ORGAN APPEAL.