Whitstable Biennale, Rooty Tooty, June, 2016
Recalling Mr Punch’s war cry, the Biennale ice cream’s name was suggested by me who saw red and white stripes as ‘the way to do it’. Rooty Tooty was developed by artist Chris Conway, the legendary creative force behind oyster ice cream, who put the root back into Rooty Tooty in his inimitable style. The maestro of cool confection developed a taste of yesteryear, sarsaparilla and ginger, drawing on old treats for modern palates. The ice cream got rave reviews. I only saw one person (a child) dislike it.
A film screened at Sundae Sundae the ice cream shop for the duration of the biennale was based on a true story of an unwanted green ice cream from my early life in Felixstowe. A silent movie stars myself aka the artist as one half of ‘the unknown couple’, with the male half played by legendary artist and filmmaker Andrew Kötting. My daughter, artist Kitty Finer, appears as my mother. The film is approx 1 minute long and played continuously in the shop window alongside the still postcards.
On the first day of the Biennale i was joined for a live performance by the iScreamers a band for the day.