Tat trap … Well Douglas, AKA Tat Vision, in his Birmingham studio. Photograph: Andrew Fox/The Guardian

His gold sculpture, which was based on a meme of young men wearing very little pants, caused outrage. Is it even the oddest piece of art by the Birmingham artist? On a tour of his cluttered studio, our author discovers

Tat Vision explains, pointing to a corner of his workshop where a huge papier-maché spider is draped over a crucifix, "That's from a religion I made ten years ago. As I navigate my way through the various curiosities strewn over every surface of this workplace in downtown Birmingham, including Freddie Mercury masks, wobbling stacks of VHS tapes, and vintage board games, he says nonchalantly, "It will catch on one day.

However, nothing in this place is as weird as what is proudly occupying the studio's center. You may recall a snapshot from 2020 known as the "Four Lads in Jeans meme" if you think back to that year. It showed a quartet of strong, sockless young men donning some of the world's tightest pair of pants.

"Some people slammed the statue for being 'a waste of money' and 'an absolute mess'

The photograph, which was taken close to Birmingham's New Street station, inspired several parodies, one of which included an animation that purported to depict them singing a sea shanty. Most folks laughed or possibly thought about what current masculinity is like. But in response, Vision made a life-size golden papier-mache sculpture of the picture. The monument recently made global news when it was installed outside the same All Bar One where the picture was shot.

The 34-year-old Brummie, whose actual name is sadly not Tat Vision but Well Douglas, claims that it has "been a whirlwind." I had no idea it would get such traction. Strong views were stirred up by his peculiar sculpture technique, which he characterizes as "quite messy and semi-disturbing for some people," with others criticizing the monument as a "waste of money" and "an absolute mess." But not that he cares.

Give us a sea shanty … the original Four Lads in Jeans meme. Photograph: Kevin Rooney/PA

“I quite enjoyed those negative comments,” he says. “I heard people talk about it with a lot of hate when I was out – not knowing that I made it. I quite enjoyed that too, the sneakiness of it, being able to listen to people’s opinions. Negative comments are just good kindling for the fire. It helps spread it to the people who do understand.”

Douglas' sculpture, which was originally intended to be a temporary show and is now housed in his workshop, makes reference to both the Four Lads in Jeans and The Golden Boys, a highly gilded monument in the middle of the city. It shows three early engineers from the 18th century inspecting a steam engine's partly rolled-up design (although the work is nicknamed The Carpet Salesman as the plan does look a bit carpet-like). According to Douglas, "I saw the Four Lads as my own interpretation of a modern Greek statue."

His workshop is filled with stunning papier-mache heads, including a Dominic Cummings mask that was featured on a Sky Arts program last year by fellow Birmingham artist Cold War Steve. But the Brummie's artistic repertoire goes far beyond bizarre papier-maché creations. His YouTube video about his trawls around charity stores in search of tat led to the creation of his pseudonym, "Tat Vision." He declares, "I love the nostalgia of seeing something you haven't seen in years, and the mystery of it." The objective was to identify stuff he might use to produce short bizarre videos or include in a review show.

‘I heard people talk about it with a lot of hate’ … the sculpture outside All Bar One. Photograph: Emma Trimble/SWNS

His tattoo treasures include a variety of prints from the 2001 film Swordfish. He continues, mentioning one of his most recent purchases: a 1980s "smart plate" that was meant to carry not just a meal, but also a drink and silverware. It stars Hugh Jackman and John Travolta and is about hacking and is quite horrible. "You can tell that someone developed it with the intention of seeing it succeed, but they just left it behind. Tackiness is significant, especially when it comes to the packaging: the old print and outdated design. Just how different were our practices in the 1980s and 1990s?

Inspirated by the children's TV program Art Attack from the 1990s, Douglas quickly started making artworks out of the tat. He has so far created a Tat Robocop and a Tat Mona Lisa. But he has been concentrating on the Tat Vision stage act lately, which he has performed at several Birmingham festivals and locations. He intends to perform a Christmas pantomime in December.

"Most artists wish the world would start taking their work seriously. But he would prefer it to stop

“The show is a more me version of me, where I’m obsessed with tat and that’s my entire life. It has mutated into a weird cabaret show, kind of like a big pantomime with over-the-top villains, music numbers and comedy.”

For Birmingham School of Art graduate Douglas, engaging with the audience is equally as important as the piece itself. My presentations are like a sensory explosion, so I believe people are a little perplexed," he claims. "I'm trying to jam three or four different activities into a short period of time. But I like a disorganized display. It forces individuals to go outside of their comfort zones, which I believe is crucial.

The majority of artists desire that more people would value their work. Douglas, though, would prefer that people cease treating him so seriously. It's all about having fun and being playful, he claims. When people can laugh about it, that's excellent. But some people will always be irritated. That's humorous, too.

 Tat Vision is hosting a Halloween mask making workshop at Dig Brew Co in Birmingham on 27 October.

Thanks to Jessica Murray at The Guardian whose reporting provided the original basis for this story.