The Crown
King George IV was an amazing character who reigned over the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and was King of Hanover from 1820 to 1830. Famous for an incredibly extravagant lifestyle, he adored decoration and self adornment and was responsible for his coronation crown being so lavish that the diamonds had to be rented and then returned.
This artwork draws on the bling lifestyle of the man who gave the Ramsgate harbour its Royal status but it also considers the beautiful beach nearby and the fact that it is often blighted by litter. The artist’s residency was commissioned by Ramsgate Arts for the 2014 Summer arts festival. The brief was to transform the toilet block by Ramsgate main sands.
Mooch brought together a team who collected bottles from the beach and surrounding area for the artwork, encouraging beach users to be responsible with their litter and telling them about the extraordinary history of George IV. The bottles were then assembled into a lightweight, temporary artwork that was installed on the toilet block, transforming it into a public art plinth.
The 4.5 metre high crown design is based on the original for his coronation and the crushed plastic bottles reproduce the sparkling character of the diamonds. This artwork proved to be a fantastically popular visitor attraction, at first hand, in the crown making workshops and on social media.
The Crown was de-commissioned at the end of September 2014 and recycled, but it will endure as a memory of a Royal icon, leaving the legacy of a cleaner beach for all and future possibilities for an overlooked building.
Many thanks to the project supporters and sponsors:
Blaze Neon
British Bins
The Co-operative
Designmap
Halfords
Jewsons
MPL Waste Management
Port of Ramsgate
Ramsgate Society
Ramsgate Town Council
Thanet District Council
Travis Perkins
Mooch is looking into a possible new version of King George IV’s crown in Ramsgate harbour. Don’t forget to support and donate to help Mooch continue this work.
