Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Is it art? Or is it moulded scrap metal ?
An interesting story emerges from these recent thefts of bronze statues and sculptures.
These are heavy and valuable works of art, including human figures, abstracts and even a seven-foot cockroach.
The Chadwick sculpture is worth £300,000 and the Henry Moore sculpture valued at £3.0million.
Art dealers say it would be implausable for a genuine art dealer or private buyer not to be aware of these thefts if offered any of these valuable sculptures.
The Police say that a gang of crooks is more likely stealing these heavy bronze pieces for their scrap value.
So, a £300,000 Chadwick would melt down to £1,000 worth of scrap bronze and a Henry Moore at (say) £5,000.
Then, along comes Peter Sorene of the Anorak (www.anorak.co.uk) to suggest these tea-leaves might be artists, and not of the p**s artist variety.
Melting expensive sculptures could be Art, he argues, like the K Foundation arts movement which famously burnt a million pounds in cash in 1994.
click here to read more ...
Mr Sorene has a point. Except, most art performances require an audience at some point.
Now, a giant 7 foot cockroach bronze sculpture, melted down to a shiny bronze puddle before an appreciative gallery of art critics would be very "Turner prize" material.
"Art! My Foot!.... as a well known TV character would say."
An interesting story emerges from these recent thefts of bronze statues and sculptures.
These are heavy and valuable works of art, including human figures, abstracts and even a seven-foot cockroach.
The Chadwick sculpture is worth £300,000 and the Henry Moore sculpture valued at £3.0million.
Art dealers say it would be implausable for a genuine art dealer or private buyer not to be aware of these thefts if offered any of these valuable sculptures.
The Police say that a gang of crooks is more likely stealing these heavy bronze pieces for their scrap value.
So, a £300,000 Chadwick would melt down to £1,000 worth of scrap bronze and a Henry Moore at (say) £5,000.
Then, along comes Peter Sorene of the Anorak (www.anorak.co.uk) to suggest these tea-leaves might be artists, and not of the p**s artist variety.
Melting expensive sculptures could be Art, he argues, like the K Foundation arts movement which famously burnt a million pounds in cash in 1994.
click here to read more ...
Mr Sorene has a point. Except, most art performances require an audience at some point.
Now, a giant 7 foot cockroach bronze sculpture, melted down to a shiny bronze puddle before an appreciative gallery of art critics would be very "Turner prize" material.
"Art! My Foot!.... as a well known TV character would say."
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There's a "girl with dolphin" statue in front of the hotel beside Tower Bridge. I'll have the girl, yuou can use the dolphin for fishing weights.
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