Filed under: Art News — Alan @ 1:24 am
The government has yet to announce planned spending cuts on the arts, but artists like Mark Wallinger are protesting what is to be expected as a 25 per cent cut. Wallinger, who is a Turner Prize winner, has taken one of Turner’s most prized paintings and depicted it with the heart cut out and a caption that reads 25 per cent cut.
Top British artists have banned together to release a new protest piece every week until the government announces the spending plans. In his adaptation of The Fighting Temeraire, Wallinger has removed 25 per cent of the painting to illustrate what a cut that size could mean to the arts.
The painting depicts the gun ship Temeraire, which played an important part in the Battle of Trafalgar, being towed off to be broken up after it was decommissioned from the Navy in 1838. The piece was a favourite of Turner’s and one that he never sold, but finally donated to the National Gallery.
Temeraire means reckless in French and Wallinger says that his depiction, with the decommissioned ship cut from the painting, in effect renders it “wreckless.” His point being that a 25 per cent cut in the painting would remove the subject entirely. This is symbolic of what many artists feel a 25 per cent cut to the arts programme would do.
Many people have joined in signing an arts petition that asks Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt to consider that it has taken 50 years to build the arts in Britain. It asks him to consider that Britain’s arts are the envy of the world and not to risk putting that in jeopardy with these proposed cuts.
Filed under: Art events — Alan @ 3:18 am
The surprising and shocking, is most people have come accustomed to expect from the Turner Prize, this year it is the fact that the prize nominees are not shocking that is unusual.
The Turner Prize is now entering its 25th year, and the contemporary art award is known for awarding honours to artists who utilize self-promotion, and excess, and shock tactics.
However, this year’s nominees are all “respectable” artists who triumph with democratic thought, without shocking displays of art. The nominees are Rogers Hiorns, Enrico David, Richard Wright, and Lucy Skaer.
Due to the moderate list, this year’s exhibition may be free from any gimmicks, and be somewhat calm for a change, which in itself is a shock, since the exhibition generally draws in a crowd that are not serious art connoisseurs.
Nominee Richard Wright from Glasgow, stated that the new focus of the award show may be due to the fact that people are now looking for a more subtle, real taste, of the world in all aspects of their life.
He went on to state that this might be due to the fact that many artists are now less focused on exclusivity, and have broadened their style to allow more people to embrace art.
Wright is known for drawing his art on gallery walls directly, instead of on canvas, which is one reason why his designs are hard to find and are not often seen as moving exhibits are.
Filed under: Exhibitions — Alan @ 10:47 am
Anish Kapoor’s latest sculpture is now up in The Royal Academy of Arts courtyard with an official unveiling set for Tuesday to mark the upcoming exhibition of his work in the gallery.
The statue in the courtyard was inspired by a quote from the poet Rainer Maria Rilke and is made of steel shiny spheres that bubble up around steel statue Palladian buildings to the height of 15 metres.
Kapoor stated that the design is created to enthral viewers due to the fact it looks almost weightless and leaves viewers wondering how it is composed. He also stated that although it bears a resemblance to DNA that is not what he intends the piece to portray.
In 1992 Kapoor was the recipient of the Turner Prize and since then has become known widely throughout the public art world in particular in 2002 when his Marsyas statue was on display in the Tate Modern Turbine Hall.
Kapoor will be given all of the main galleries that are located at the Royal Academy making him the first artist to ever receive the honour of an exclusive solo show.
He stated that the institution houses some of the best artwork throughout the world so he is aware of the honour that he academy bestowed on him by deciding to host a show of his work.
There will be 50 new sculptures included in the show as well as some of his most well known and controversial pieces of work.
