Q. Do you want to make a pair of giant can can legs to go above a cinema in Brighton?
A. YES
Interview over I arrived in Brighton’s neighbouring town, Seaford, the following day to a frosty yet warmly lit garage already housing two giant polystyrene legs. Also in the room, and appearing very small next to such a creation, was Jamie McCartney who I met the previous day at his small sculpture studio in the heart of Brighton’s infamous Laines. He greeted me with a mixed look of gratitude and ‘do you really know what you have let yourself in for’ and I quickly understood why. These legs were huge, around 12 ft high and as thick a 100 year old oak tree, and they both had to be fibreglassed. Now, fibreglass is a great material, its strong, lightweight and waterproof. We build boats out of the stuff. It is, however, very smelly and very messy. Still, whats not to like? I'm a young man, everything I do is smelly and messy. I rolled up my sleeves and got glassing.
Once the fibreglass had set solid we had an incredibly rigid, strong but lightweight sculpture of what vaguely resembled a pair of legs. Almost done then, I thought, all we need to do is get them smooth and were in business? True. Though I had over shot the length of time it takes to get things of that size smoothed off... Using car body filler I went over and over each of the legs, sanding and filling, sanding and filling. Taking care to keep the form and remove any flat spots and air bubbles created in the process. It took almost two weeks. Almost done? yeah, nice one newbie.
With the end in site, meaning the deadline set by the client, it was all hands to the pump as we washed down each leg maticulously with acetone and then panel wipe to ensure they were dust free and clean for the spray painting. Begining with a primer and then white before masking off the individual stripes to be painted red, followed by a clear gloss for a shiney finish and to ensure these legs will stand the test of time.
The following day they where taken to the Duke of Yorks at Komedia cinema and installed above the entrance, they look terrific!