And finally… International artists to auction work created from fire-damaged Glasgow School of Art

mackintosh-buildingLeading artists including Sir Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor and Simon Starling have used material from the fire-damaged Glasgow School of Art to create new work and raise funds, the BBC has reported.

Twenty-five international artists were sent debris from the Mackintosh library, which was gutted by fire in May 2014.

The work they created will be sold at auction to raise money for the Mackintosh Campus Appeal.

It is hoped £32 million can be raised.



Other artists taking part include Grayson Perry, Cornelia Parker, Jenny Saville, David Shrigley and Douglas Gordon as well as The Chapman Brothers and Sir Peter Blake, with seven Turner prize winners among them.

Each artist was sent a piece of material specifically chosen for them with a note telling them what it was, where it was from and explaining the concept of the auction.

Perry, who has made an urn featuring the words “Art is dead. Long live Art”, said: “It’s a tragedy. It’s the most famous art school building in Britain.

“It’s also the masterpiece of Mackintosh. It’s a double tragedy.



“I was very excited when I received the box of charcoal. I had an idea almost immediately and the idea of making an urn was an obvious thing to do.

“The idea of memorialising or celebrating the difficulty - honouring the wound. It’s something I’m trying to do. Move on and make the most of it.

“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.

“We’ve all been asked to do T-shirts, knickers and mugs - endless charity rounds. I get about two a week.”



The project, titled Ash To Art, was created by communications agency J. Walter Thompson London in collaboration with The Glasgow School of Art Development Trust.

The work will be on display at Christie’s in London’s King Street from 3-7 March and will be auctioned during the Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale on 8 March.

Each of the pieces, covering a range of practices including sculpture, photography, drawing and painting, has been created using remains from the fire, from charred timbers and debris to books and furniture.

They include Kapoor’s wood fragments in a red perspex box and Gordon’s burnt wood cast in bronze.

Students had been preparing for their degree shows when flames engulfed the Grade A-listed Charles Rennie Mackintosh building.

The blaze caused significant damage to the west wing, including the loss of the celebrated library.

The report said the gases ignited as they came into contact with the hot surface of a projector.

So far, the Mackintosh Campus Appeal has raised £18.5m.

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