Matthew Darbyshire's work often deals with/centres around ideologies of Architecture, Design and Urban Regeneration and this inherently touches on class differences on taste.

As part of the Vauxhall Collective, Matthew has been commissioned to produce his most ambitious art work to date; a full-scale modern funhouse. Incorporating the design language of regeneration architecture in Britain, he will travel around the country visiting the last six funhouses in the UK, as well as drawing inspiration from 50 public buildings used to regenerate areas.

Jareh: How did you get involved in the Vauxhall Collective and congratulations for being selected!
Matthew: Thank you, I was nominated by the Style Council – the Hayward Gallery, ICA, Space Studios, Charlie Smith London and Bonham’s were all involved so it was great to be selected.

Jareh: Vauxhall in conjunction with a Style Council aim help them take selected careers to the next level. I would say you and a few others are established creatives though?
Matthew: Do you think?

Jareh: Funhouses? What are these and how does this tie into the project's theme?
Matthew: A Funhouse is a fairground attraction which peaked in popularity in the 1980s and was characterised by, among other features, wobbly mirrors, undulating floors, moving parts, ball pits etc. While traditional funhouses make use of generic cartoon-like shapes and a palette of bright primaries, my funhouse will quote the specific design language of post-millennial British public architecture in its fixtures, fittings and colour scheme. By creating a structure that takes its form from an entertainment archetype, the funhouse, I am seeking to create something that at first glance appears to subscribe to a shallow ‘consensus culture’, but which then reveals itself to be somewhat antagonistic to that culture, providing a friction that that will demand another, deeper level of interaction and critical contemplation.

Jareh: What stage are you at with the Funhouses (how do they convey The Great British Road Trip theme) and when will we be able to see them?
Matthew: I’m in the planning stage. All elements derive from a two-week roadtrip/survey that I conducted last year. In total I will be referencing 25 specific public-access buildings; 5 from each of the major UK cities – London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield.

Jareh: Architecture as well as urbanism seem central to you work (discuss)?
Matthew: (see above)

Jareh: There seems to be a certain 'Cabinet of Curosity' element to you work?
Matthew: Yes, it’s always a collection of sorts.

Jareh: Blades House' at Gasworks seems to convey elements Lefebvre's (social) production of space? Is this critical theory relevant to your work?
Matthew: Yes of course.

Jareh: What sort of house do you live in I can't imagine it would look any thing like Blades House at Gasworks but may be a CYMK explosion?
Matthew: It’s a bit like Navin’s pad in The Jerk. It has 3 swimming pools,‘s’ shaped hedges, a stuffed camel, a disco room and a bath tub shaped like a clam.

Jareh: What's your favourite Colour?
Matthew: At the moment, fuschia pink.

Jareh: What's your favourite space, building, place?
Matthew: “Home is the most important place in the world” Ikea

Jareh: What else are you working on at the moment?
Matthew: This is plenty for now.

Matthew Darbyshire is the fine art member for the Vauxhall Collective 2008/09, an initiative by Vauxhall Motors
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Matthew's Funhouse will be on display in London in May 2009

Matthew Darbyshire's work 'Palace' is part of Altermodern: Tate Triennial 2009
Tate Britain
Millbank
London
SW1P 4RG
Tuesday 3 February – Sunday 26 April 2009
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