Candy Pop and Juicy Lucy: Stephen Lawrence Gallery, Greenwich

21 August - 16 September 2006

'I realised I was good at colour. I think it was because me dad’s got an ice cream van full of colour. We’d go and see Bollywood films every Sunday. OTT colour. The Hindu temple was full of colour. Indian colour gods, when you wake up in the morning there’s calendars all around the house.'

‘Candy Pop and Juicy Lucy’ is a vividly coloured multi-layered, dream like psychedelic moving image work featuring pop images of ice cream cornets, ice lollies and an ice cream van with a soundtrack of ice cream van jingles that take you straight back to your childhood.

The work is saturated in colour.

 

SO much to say, to say, this is the hardest thing in the world, Fire, fire, fire, Agg, Agg, Agg,
One struggle after another, one fight after another,
FREEDOM what’s that? Woz, IZ, DEAD hard, Stereotypes reinforces MYSTERY.
NO art books on are shelves at home. NO paper to draw on. Just making ice cream 99’s
Tiger nuts & toffee apples and millions of toffee walking sticks – ART sister art
NO one listens, suppose they must all think it’s Dead easy, they haven’t a clue.
Making rotis night after night, no time for homework, but loadsa sweets to eat from the icecream van,
cornettos, choc-ices & raspberry splits. flakes and screwballs, shells and boats…

Who says all working class Asian girls are quiet, WHA’ in are house? Wild girls, Punjabi, Bhangra,
Gidha, sticky sweets, sweat, who’s wearing the best salwar keemich, glittery, satin, & velvet rage,
Gida Pa, Gidha Pa goria, Dance english sister Dance. Move that body…
Roti Dal & beanz & biscuits, Palma violets, hopscotch under the dim cobbled street lamp in bare
feet in frilly nylon frocks, tatty hair, Red corduroy dresses, sparkly juridar pyjama, white, purple & pink
Indian films every sunday afternoon, all dressed up, tears, nappies, playing is in the ailses,
Chocolate, Coke, Jalebi, Ludu, barfi, and syrupy sweet white masala tea, Bar 6, toffee crisp, grar
Pakeeza, Mother India, Phoolan devi, Jhansi Ki Rani, Meena Kumari, Sita Durga Ma, Kali, where are you

Standing up tall & reaching heights, show’em whatcha got… rebel without a pause…
Proud brand new grammar school uniform, wrong hat, 11 plus, cyclin proficiency, Swim
for the school, act for the school, run for the school, sing for the school, long jump for the school
shot put for the school, first class honours, who says were all Meek and Mild sharp as a knife…
FRAGILE EXPLOSIVE AND SENSITIVE SOULS HANDLE WITH EXTRA CARE AND LOVE.
Wish I could go to discos, parties, dances and have girl friends and boyfriends like all the english
girls and posh asian girls, Anyway they’re all last those fellas, wimps, couldn’t handle us anyway
WE’RE too Wild, Sharp, Smart, Fast, Loud, Dynamic, Soft Sexy and Sensitive.

Stay in, study hard, study art, buy a stereo from the catalogue, It hurts so good,
Hibernate To Liberate – Don’t get me started… let’s Laugh and Dance
Work hard in habitat on Saturdays, rob all the best stuff, for Freedoms sake, Why work?
Study hard, TWICE as hard, hard, hard, hard, madness, slam, slam, slam, work, work, carrying a heavy load,
STRUGGLE, FIGHT, SHOUT, IZZAT? RESPECT US NOW!
Gotta mek it through the night, warm love, sweetpillow, You know what am sayin Don’t cheat us
The World is so cold, ain’t do nothing for your soul.

Cockroaches in the fire place, love mashing them up, stir it up little darlin’, stir it up…
Ther’e must be hundreds of us dying to do art and sing and shout out there,
Why did they have to make it so hard, Go for the BURN, Stretch and Turn
Bad young sister, Reach out and Touch, Let’s make this world a better place, We shall OVERCOME
Aint no stoppin us now, you now, her now, we’re on the move and grooving, chulor, lets go…
STRENGTHEN and UPLIFT the mind… Let’s go CRAZY…
Roti, Kapar, aur Makaan – Food, clothing and shelter. PEACE.