How does Malt Shovel (sculpture) elucidate its Reception?
Hazell was inspired by pop art and particularly the work of Claes Oldenburg, who creates large-scale sculptures of everyday objects.  Noszlopy and Waterhouse, writing in 2005, interpreted the Malt Shovel as "an ironic comment on the local heritage industry", which they considered to be focussed on the history of brewing, similar to how Oldenburg satirised capitalism with his sculptures of consumer goods.  They also compared the sculpture to Hazell's Fallen Star, a large-scale representation of a light bulb in Bradford that ironically represented the early stars of cinema, long since dead, who are remembered at the town's National Museum of Film and Photography.The sculpture was controversial locally.  It was opposed by the Burton Civic Society, who raised concerns on the grounds of road safety, because of the sculpture's potential to dazzle and distract motorists, and its potential to hinder the passage of pedestrians.  Opposition to the sculpture from local people also featured in the Burton Mail where some objected to the sculpture's proximity to the town's war memorial and some questioned the accuracy of the sculpture.  Some former maltsters claimed that the sculpture more closely resembled a scoop than a malt shovel, which was completely flat. One, who had worked at the Bass Brewery in the 1950s, described it as "an insult to all former maltsters".  A Burton Mail poll found 116 of 120 respondents were opposed to the sculpture.  The newspaper's editor declined an invitation to attend the unveiling of the sculpture "as a matter of principle".   Noszlopy and Waterhouse claimed that none of the opponents of the sculpture noticed its ironical intent.
Bass Brewery Claes Oldenburg Burton Mail pop art