The Big Keys

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The project was a joint venture between Groundwork Blackburn and Lancaster City Council. Although thirty miles from Windermere the city is often described as ‘The Gateway to the Lakes’ and new signage and a Landmark were commissioned for the White Lund Industrial Estate. The brief requested the artist to propose a strategic landmark and entrance into the Estate.
At the interview in November 2005 I asked members of the Green Park Initiative to consider their own bunches of keys as inspiration for a monumental set of keys that would reflect the idea of a Gateway. I also sifted through hundreds of keys at the city town hall adjacent to the prison imagining something composed of ancient key shapes would be better. However the committee wanted me to use modern keys as my subject matter. In the end the idea of car and house keys did appeal to the panel and the idea evolved into a six meter tall sculpture comprising keys, ring and fob sporting a big ‘W‘ for (Whitelund), cut out of 60mm steel that was then galvanised.
I worked on several models ‘down south’ and eventually the best one was chosen as a pattern for a local firm to fabricate. This was the first time; mainly due to potential transport and production costs in the south being prohibitive; that the work was manufactured by others away from my supervision. It as manufactured by Howard Mercer Metalworks, who also installed the piece, using shapes cut out by LOKS based upon my concept drawings and maquette. The project was completed in 2006

I had often thought it would be good to make a familiar object to which every passer-by could relate. Perhaps one day an opportunity to work with the idea of lost property might arise.