Strange, seductive and occasionally terrifying fairground art

The bright lights, the sickly scent of candy floss, the relentlessly getting shafted trying to win a child-size plush Pink Panther on the coconut shy…there’s something truly magical, rather strange and occasionally sinister about the fairground. While its typography is often mimicked, few have recognised the brilliance of the surreal artworks that grace its rides, stalls and signs. From strange approximations of Will Smith’s face to depictions of Pinhead from Hellraiser to some genuinely beautiful psychedelic artworks, it’s a garish and beguiling world, and one that’s long fascinated creative director Nigel Edginton-Vigus, who’s created a new book Waltzer to show it all off.

“The Waltzer has always provided artists with an amazing canvas for creative expression, yet these masterpieces have never received the recognition they deserve,” he says. “The aim of this book is simple: to let you discover the work of some of the most talented, yet unrecognised artists this country has ever seen.

“Unlike a Rembrandt, Warhol or Banksy, these masterpieces will never end up in a gallery. Instead, they’re exposed to the extremes of British weather and subjected to the rigours of a travelling funfair. They also face the constant threat of being sanded off and repainted, or simply thrown onto a bonfire.”

To try and salvage these works and ensure a degree of immortality, Nigel has spent the past 20 years photographing fairground art. His bold images have been designed into the book by London-based agency Grade Design, whose creative director Peter Dawson now shares Nigel’s passion for the fun of the fair. “Nigel’s images have certainly opened our eyes, as designers, to a whole new undiscovered world,” he says.

Right, I’m off to win that Pink Panther. How hard can it be?