June 2012
‘The most awesome, powerful responsibility in the world lies in the hand that picks up this phone’
To celebrate 25th anniversary of ChildLine BT commissioned a team of artists to transform replica phone boxes into pieces of art, BT ArtBoxes, which were displayed all over London throughout June and July 2012 when they were auctioned off in aid of Childline.
Displayed outside the MoD HQ on Victoria Embankment,London, Michael Sanders’ COLDWARmHOTLINE evokes a giant souvenir tin of shortbread, clad in an adaptation of ‘Polaris’ Military tartan made up in nuclear text. Inset behind perspex is a red phone above text that reads: ‘The most awesome, powerful responsibility in the world lies in the hand that picks up this phone’ A box below contains a Vulcan bomber, a Polaris submarine and a CND symbol, all made out of shortbread.
Sander’s Artbox explores the power of the telephone in international communications.
It was the first time a tartan had been registered to a ship and a nuclear weapons system. Apparently the registrar hit the roof. The dark green in the pattern represents the ocean deeps, the blue is Navy Blue and the yellow and light blue are the blue and gold watches on nuclear submarines.
http://www.squidbeak.co.uk/blog/2012/06/tartan-shortbread/
Main images by Jill Turton
Gallery images by Karen Roe except where indicated
