The Great Ice-Cream Robbery. Tate Gallery, London, 1970 - ACE028.2

Black. Sounds of traffic. Black. Men’s voices discussing how to arrange parts of installation. "…put the bloody one in front." "That’s not how it is here. There’s one where you see the middle bone. That one’s light, the other one’s a darker colour…" Claes Oldenburg and gallery staff unpacking crate from Museum of Modern Art, New York, and arranging contents, ceramic joints of meat, sausages, etc. Black. Black and white footage of policemen with street-vendor’s trolley. Black. Sweets. Oldenburg filming contents of confectioner’s window. His VO saying that he wants "the stuff in [his] show" to be "a starting point for conversation"; "it’s about reaching minds". Oldenburg and Hannah Wilke eating ice-cream by van outside Tate Gallery. Oldenburg at window; contents of his room. His VO talking about his background, and about part of his work being "about the identity of the thing". Black. Noise of turning paper; aeroplane. Oldenburg and others with illustrated books. Woman sewing. Oldenburg VO saying he’s annoyed that one achieves so little in a lifetime. Oldenburg with paper disc. Wilke. Black. Black and white films of Tate interior while exhibition is being mounted: crates, a ladder, paper, etc. Oldenburg VO saying he has "a lot of problems now" as everything is "much more complicated" than it used to be. Oldenburg on ladder beside Soft Ladder; Hammer; Saw; and Bucket (1967), Saw (Hand; Version II) (1970-1971) leaning against wall. Gallery staff discussing the installation of the exhibits. Oldenburg decides to reverse Soft Ladder…. Giant Soft Fan (1967) being manoeuvred into position. Voices of Oldenburg and gallery staff. Man painting plinth for Giant Soft Fan.