"In 1994 Locke constructed a huge 7m long Ark of papier maché, (incorporating bright colours, found objects, decorative elements). His aim was to create his own personal style and culture as a British Artist. But people seemed to have no idea what he was talking about. To them it was all Carribean carnivals as seen on TV. There seemed to be no escape from being looked upon as neo-primitive…

"Confronted with incomprehension and an exoticising mis-reading, Locke decided not to deconstruct his polychrome sculptures, but his viewers. He packaged the sculptures in cardboard wrapping…he left peeping holes through which we glimpse the colours. They are cut in the shape of letters forming the words ‘import’ and ‘export’. He wants to provoke us. Here you have your exotic goods, packaged as merchandise! Go and think things over!"- Evelyn Nicodemus, Routes catalogue, 1999

Merchandise incorporates a figure from Raft, and was itself later incorporated into Hemmed In Two