When the Mackintosh Wing of the world-famous Glasgow School of Art burned down in 2014, there was plenty of reason to despair. As Scotland’s only art school, and boasting alumni such as Cathy Wilkes, Sir Jamidi, it is a vital place for inoculating the arts. Yet, as a response to this devastating event, the owners came up with the nifty idea of sending the material from the fire to 25 different artists. They were then invited to create works from these materials in order to raise funds to rebuild the wing. Artists include Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley, Sir Peter Blake, and Jenny Saville. Famed ceramicist Grayson Perry, who was also invited to contribute, has quite fittingly created an urn which states: “Art is Dead. Long Live Art”.
As he says of the project: “I really like the idea of using the charcoal from the fire. I thought it was very clever. It’s also fresh – it’s not something that has come up before.” Other works include Kapoor putting fragments of wood in a perspex box, and Douglas Gordon creating a cross out of burnt wood debris.
The appeal has already raised £18.5 million out of their total aim of £32 million. The upcoming auction is expected to easily clear that final total. Director of Glasgow Art School Prof Tom Inns told the BBC: “It has been a pleasure to work with the creative team at J. Walter Thompson London over the last two years on this imaginative initiative that will help in our efforts to raise the £32m required to make our vision a reality.”
Take a look at a selection of works below.
“A Given,” 2017 by Douglas Gordon
“Site II,” 2016 by Antony Gordon
“Art Is Dead, Long Live Art,” 2017 by Grayson Perry.
“Untitled,” 2016 by Martin Boyce
“Self Portrait with Ishbel at Glasgow School of Art,” 2016 by Chantal Joffe
The “Ash Not Art” exhibition will run at Christie’s 3-7 March 2017. The auction will take place on 8 March at the Post War and Contemporary Art Day Sale.