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UK NEWS

News is archived for 1999 and 2000

INDEX OF NEWS ARTICLES
Material relating to Stella Vine here and Charles Saatchi here

(most recent starts here)
Childish/Thomson Career Manifesto (15.9.04)
Art that survived the Momart 'Saatchi' fire (11.6.04)
"Greatest loss" of 'Saatchi' fire (1.6.04)
Defastenism - a Remodernist art group
(13.5.04)

Charles Williams (5.7.03)
Turner Prize 2003 (3.7.03)
Frances Castle wins competition
(21.3.03)

Stuckists in Leeds Mixed Show
(4.3.03)

Absolon artist-in-Residence, Kent (11.2.03)
Evans Collection at Rivington Gallery (21.1.03)
Serota insults Massow
(05.02.02)
Tate Modern Andy Warhol Omission (10.02.02)
Ivan Massow/Stuckists BBC News Site (20.01.02)
Study of Turner Prize with Stuckists ( 6.11.01)
Reuters - Stuckists are the critics (4.10.01)
Rachel Jordan's Virgin debut (20.9.01)


London LBC Radio
(18.6.01)
Sale of art materials (18.6.01)
Serota insults the Stuckists
(4.6.01)

Sarah Kent and trading standards
(31.5.01)
Stuckist wins public art commission
(18.5.01)

What Brian Sewell said (abroad) (9.5.01)
Stuck on tv ( 12.4.01)
Stuckist in Parliament - Evening Standard (12.4.01 )
Folkestone hits out (10.3.01)
The Big Issue: Stuckists v Louisa Buck

(who's she again?) (9.3.01) 
Stuckism 20th Century Art Movement - official /

Louisa Buck (who's she?) (3.3.01)
Billy Childish & The Stuckists vinyl single (1.3.01)


What makes a painting a painting?
According to an article in Art News (April 2005) a painting doesn't have to be made with paint. It can be a laser or inkjet print or a light projection amongst other things. Presumably the logical development of this is to call synchronised swimming a painting and an egg a hippopotamus. Find out how to do it here
(& maybe this is a painting here? - try to get the one with the dog jumping up.)

Nearest Rat
Charles Copeland in Commission en Direct, the EU Commission house journal: "he says, citing the Stuckist anti-art artist Charles Thomson: 'A single woman is never more than six inches from the nearest rat.'" Financial Times 30.11.04 (Painting here)

Career Manifesto by Childish/Thomson 15.9.04
A new Career Manifesto has just appeared by the Childish/Thomson writing team responsible for the Stuckist manifestos, although this one is not under that label. It is in a new book Private Views: Artists Working Today, edited by Judith Palmer (£14.99 Serpent's Tail, 2004, ISBN 1-85242-821-X). Preceded by Lives of the Artists, the manifesto starts:
We paint pictures because that is what we like doing and we lack social skills at parties.

world exclusive report
THE ART THAT SURVIVED THE MOMART 'SAATCHI' FIRE 11.6.04
Miraculously, and so far unreported by the media, some of the art in the middle of the Momart warehouse fire has survived. So far 30 figures from the William Redgrave sculpture The Event have been retrieved by his son Christopher from the surrounding wreckage. They have been discoloured from bronze to terracotta but are in good shape.

One of the side panels of the triptych has been completely destroyed, but it is hoped some more of the 228 figures comprising the sculpture can still be retrieved.

Photos here
Report on Redgrave sculpture in Momart fire below

world exclusive report
"BY FAR THE GREATEST LOSS" OF THE 'SAATCHI' FIRE 1.6.04

As yet completely unreported by the media is what has been described by critic Bevis Hillier as "by far the greatest loss" of the Momart art warehouse fire, where lost works by Tracey Emin, the Chapman Brothers and Damien Hirst have been highlighted.

The work in question, stored there by his family, is the greatest piece by painter and sculptor William Redgrave (1903-86), a bronze triptych The Event, measuring overall 56 x 124" and taking the artist three years to make.

It was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1966, described by the Daily Telegraph as "the most successful piece of sculpture seen at the Academy for many years" and compared with Manzu's bronze doors for St Peter's, Rome. It also greatly impressed former Director of the Tate Gallery, Sir John Rothenstein. It was subsequently shown in various venues but failed to be included in the new Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall because of budgetary problems.

The work shows 49 tableaux of 228 figures on themes ranging from flirtation to gang murder, described in a poem by Scottish poet Alan Bold as "forced/To face the judgement of a world they represent.". It anticipates the more recent massed figures by Antony Gormley and the Chapman Brothers, but displays a compassion and insight into the emotional and mundane experiences of human life that far surpasses them.

Redgrave was first encouraged into sculpture in 1957 by Francis Bacon, of whom he subsequently sculpted a portrait head, as well as others including Diana Rigg, Henry Cooper and Lord Olivier (now on display in the Olivier Theatre foyer, Royal National Theatre on the South Bank).

Redgrave moved in artistic circles which included Francis Bacon, Barbara Hepworth and Roger Hamilton, and was cared for by Quentin Crisp after he contracted TB. He was born in Little Ilford, Essex, worked for a time in the BBC, was an air warden in the Blitz and ran an art school in St Ives with Peter Lanyon (Francis Bacon rented his studio).

The family were embarking on a project to display The Event. More details on William Redgrave and a catalogue from his 1998 show at the Roy Miles Gallery can be obtained from his son Christopher Redgrave chrisredgrave@hotmail.com

DEFASTENISM - A REMODERNIST ART GROUP 13.5.04

Remodernism is the cultural period inaugurated by the Stuckists to promote spiritual (as opposed to religious) values in the place of the ironic disbelief of Postmodernism. We said the Stuckists were the first Remodernist art group.

Now a new group Defastenism has also declared itself Remodernist. They declare "BOILING INSPIRATION AND IDEAS DOWN TO THEIR BARE ESSENTIALS, RESULTING IN BORING, AESTHETICALLY UNINTERESTING WORKS OF ART IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF POSTMODERNISM THAT THE DEFASTENISTS INTEND TO REMEDY."

Founding Defastenist personnel are Gary Farrelly, leader and founder member (along with Ben Mullen), Alex Reilly, Seanan Oliver Manfred Kerr, Jane McGovern. They are based in Dublin with activities in London, Paris and Munich; they include artists, musicians, film makers, writers, architects and designers.

Stuckists: Remodernist Manifesto,
Defastenism: web site http://www.defastenism.4t.com, email Secretdefastenistlocation@hotmail.com
See also:
The Deatrick Gallery Kentucky - the first self-declared 'Remodernist' gallery in the world.
www.stuckismphotography - an independent initiative to endorse Stuckist values in photography

CHARLES WILLIAMS MOTORS ON 5.7.03
Charles Williams exhibits everywhere fairly regularly, and at the moment is in the Royal Academy Summer Show (as well as Stuckism International). He is also featuring in the Hunting Competition at the Royal College of Art and the Discerning Eye at the Mall Galleries. A solo show is booked at the Bakersfield Museum of Art, California for next year. More on the man here.


THE TURNER PRIZE 2003

Despite cashing in on the name of a great painter, the Tate Gallery Turner Prize fails to include a painter in the shortlist for the third year running. It includes someone who exhibits tree trunks and a couple of chaps who made Airfix construction kits of tanks.
As two of the nominees are Saatchi favourites, it could indicate the beginning of a thaw in the coldness between Sir Nicholas Serota, Director of the Tate Gallery, and Charles Saatchi over the last few years.

NB one of the justifications for the Turner Prize is that Turner was a radical innovative artist. Turner died 1851. Photography was available for general use in 1839 and in 1844 William Henry Fox Talbot published a book of

photos called The Pencil of Nature. Turner startlingly failed to stop painting pictures in order to move into this new medium. He didn't even collage photos of ships into his seascapes.

Read the Stuckists' Turner Prize Manifesto, written in 2000
but still just as relevant.
Stuckist Turner Prize clown demos outside the Tate
(also on Glasgow University site).
Real Turner Prize Show 2002 here.

Stuckist Turner Prize song Art or Arse
(lyrics here).
'Turner Prize is a Red Herring' Essay.
This year's nominees in the Guardian
.

3.7.03 back to top


FRANCES CASTLE WINS COMPETITION (21.3.03)
Frances 'Rusty' Castle (London Stuckists) won a ningyoushi.com figurine contest. Details:http://www.ningyoushi.com/tunnelratx/contest/contest.htm

STUCKISTS' NEW DIRECTION IN MIXED LEEDS SHOW
Paintings by Paul Harvey, Matthew Robinson, Rachel Jordan and Charles Thomson are in a mixed Leeds show to represent the Stuckist position. 'New Directions Art vs Mainstream Visual Culture' is 9-19 April 2003, 11am - 7pm. The show is on the first floor of The Cube development, Albion Street, Leeds city centre (next to The Light shopping centre). The launch party is 6-11pm 9 April, sponsored by Becks. Contact Sophie Hammer ultracurator@plinth.biz Web site: www.plinth.biz (4.3.03)

PHILIP ABSOLON ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE, ROCHESTER
Stuckist Philip Absolon is Artist-in-Residence at the Rochester Adult Education Centre, High Street, Rochester, Kent.
Call in to meet him in Room One, top floor Mon, Tues, Thu and Fri, 9am - 3pm from 17 Feb till mid-May 2003.

Paintings here. Email: philip_absolon@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 01634 338429 (12.2.03)

ROGER EVANS COLLECTION AT RIVINGTON GALLERY
Not Stuckists, but friends of... Harold Werner Rubin's Rivington Gallery showcases the private art collection of journalist Roger Evans. This diverse collection of 2,750 works has been built up since the 70s on a modest income and is an impressive example of what can be achieved, without having to be a multi-millionaire.
Living with Art - drawings and paintings from the Evans Collection. The Rivington Gallery, 69 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3AY. Wed-Sun 12-5pm, 23 Jan - 9 Feb 2003 (Old Street tube, exit 2) Tel: 020 7729 5090 Email: info@evanscollection.org Web site (in preparation): www.evanscollection.org Private View 23 Jan 6-8pm Roger Evans will be in the gallery 12-5pm Sun 2 Feb. Call in at Stuckism International as well, which is just round the corner.
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SEROTA TELLS OFF MASSOW
Sir Nicholas Serota, Tate Director, meets Ivan Massow (then Chairman, Institute of Contemporary Arts) at Tate Modern's Warhol exhibition party. Reports Massow: "There was a deathly silence. Serota then said, 'They should have sacked you two weeks ago' and walked off."
Sir Nicholas has obviously missed his vocation as a public school headmaster, but there is time yet.  (05.02.02)


TATE MODERN ANDY WARHOL OMISSION
Tate Modern briefs the public for its current Andy Warhol exhibition with theWarhol quote: "just look at the surface of my paintings.... and there I am", which hints at some significant presence to be found.   The Tate fails to continue the quote with the words that follow: "There's nothing behind it", which is a somewhat less impressive promotion of the oeuvre and, despite being the artist's own admission, is one the Tate might well not be keen to make.

It is after all an analysis that applies equally well to most of the Tate's contemporary stars, as evidenced annually at the Turner Prize. It is significant that it should have come from Warhol, the inaugurator of the Postmodern stance in the visual arts that the celebrity of the artist takes precedence over the need for any worth in the work.  

IVAN MASSOW/STUCKISTS BBC NEWS SITE  
In case you hadn't heard, Ivan Massow, Chairman of London's ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art), which is renowned for promoting the pretentious self-indulgent, craftless tat of conceptual art, has written an article in the New Statesman (21.1.01) condemning conceptual art as pretentious self-indulgent craftless tat. He also let drop en route that conceptual art's most noted UK proponent Tracey Emin couldn't "think her way out of a paper bag".  

This has ruffled a few feathers, including, not surprisingly, Tracey Emin's, who called for him to resign. Sir Nicholas Serota who was also lambasted, declined to comment, which is his usual spirited stance on the wrong kind of artistic challenge. Stuckist response | Post a comment | Report on Massow's comments | Guardian Report

STUDY OF TURNER PRIZE WITH STUCKISTS
A study from the University of Glasgow looks at the history of the Turner Prize, and includes Stuckist clown demo and Real Turner Prize Show 2000. Check it out 04 October 2001

STUCKISTS ARE THE CRITICS
A press release from news agency Reuters says the Turner Prize is 'Condemned by critics as "an ongoing national joke."' That quote is actually from the Stuckists Turner Prize Manifesto. 04 October 2001

RACHEL JORDAN'S VIRGIN DEBUT
We are not implying that Rachel is a virgin, although for all we know she might well be, but she has been a regular exhibitor at Stuckist shows. Particularly memorable was her 'Turnerprize Hotel' showing a gaudy pink and yellow Tate promoting '100 dirty beds/non-stop bland videos/dreary laundromat' which was first show in 'The Resignation of Sir Nicholas Serota' at Gallery 108.The painting was recently reproduced in Virgin Trains magazine 'Hotline' as part of a feature on the Turner Prize. Stuckist views are printed against the Prize ('what Turner did was paint pictures...'). Inevitably Charles Thomson's painting of Sir Nicholas with a large pair of red knickers is also reproduced. (Has he actually done any other work apart from this, we ask ourselves?) 25 September 2001

ADVANCE NOTICE: LONDON RADIO 1-3AM MON 25 JUNE
Charles Thomson has been invited to sit in with Tessa Dunlop on her LBC radio show in the early hours. Listeners will therefore be treated to that rare combination of brains and beauty (and Charles Thomson as well). You can also phone in yourself. Tune to 1152 AM (or medium wave as it used to be known). 18 June 2001

SALE OF ART MATERIALS 10-40% DISCOUNT
30 June 2001, 8am - 4pm: Bird & Davis, 45 Holmes Rd, NW5 (Kentish Town tube, 5 mins walk - out tube, turn left, Holmes Rd on right by MacDonalds). One day only. Mail order: 020 7485 3797
Bird & Davis have especially low prices for Old Holland oil paint. 18 June 2001

STUDENTS FOR STUCKISM ON TV
Katherine Gardener and Susan Finlay on E4's Nu Skool.
Daily Mail 12.6.01.

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"a willingness..... to risk offence by unexpected confrontation can yield rewards"
- Sir Nicholas Serota (Experience or Interpretation)
SEROTA TELLS OFF THE STUCKISTS
04 June 2001

An angry Sir Nicholas Serota, Director of the Tate Gallery, rounded on Stuckist co-founder, Charles Thomson, in Trafalgar Square today. 

A few minutes earlier Rachel Whiteread's 'sculpture' of a resin cast of a plinth placed upside-down on a plinth had been unveiled by Culture Secretary, Chris Smith. 

As Smith left the low podium, Thomson clambered over the crowd barrier onto it and addressed the crowd through the p.a. His statement addressed Smith's statement two years ago that there should be more painting in the Turner Prize (this year there is none at all). 

Thomson's large placard read: "Mr Smith, do you really think this stupid plinth is a work of art?"

Simultaneously, more banners were held up by half a dozen members of Students for Stuckism (led by S.P.

Howarth) and other groups. One read, "New Labour, Old Saatchi". Another showed Thomson's painting of Sir Nicholas with a pair of red knickers.

A livid Serota approached Thomson afterwards and labelled his action as "cheap" for making use of the work of another artist. "It's Dada," was the reply. Serota, seemingly on the point of meltdown, suggested Thomson thought he could do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted.

Thomson said this was not the case, but that Serota and a small number of other people controlled the art world, and that the Stuckists were forced to resort to such tactics in order to get their point of view heard - at which Serota walked off. 

The Stuckists understand that Sir Nicholas Serota is a strong advocate of artists being 'challenging' and wonder where we have gone wrong. The wrong sort of challenge perhaps?

Another account of this event here
Page on the demo here
Photo of Stella Vine at the demo on Getty Images


SARAH KENT AND TRADING STANDARDS
From the Evening Standard (31 May 2001):
Time Consuming
Claims of a conspiracy by the Stuckists, the anti-Brit Art campaign group, who accuse Time Out's influential Art Editor, Sarah Kent, of being in league with Charles Saatchi and the other big guns of the London art scene. "She's ignored every single show we've ever put on despite us informing her of their existence and Time Out claiming to provide a comprehensive guide to art shows in London," the Stuckists co-founder Charles Thomson told me last night at a party at The Fridge in Brixton to celebrate the opening of five Stuckist art shows across the capital. "What worries me is Sarah Kent has compiled catalogues and written essays for Charles Saatchi and Jay Jopling. Her personal interests are clearly not compatible with her job and I find myself forced to contact Trading Standards."

We understand that Ms Kent's explanation is that she only has room in the magazine for one in every four shows. However, seeing as we are opening five on the same day, that should at least leave space for one of them.

STUCKIST WINS BIG PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
Eamon Everall got comissioned to do a large outdoor 3D thingy in Leyton entitled 'Millenium Temple'.  It is the height of a double-decker bus and weighs over 5 tons. It consists of three stone Grecian pillars supporting a large white plastic ball with a light inside it. The artist states that it represents "the advent of a hopeful future firmly supported on the solid but careworn foundations of the past." [What? - Ed] 

The project was awarded in open competition by London Borough of Waltham Forest. If you look carefully, you can see it plonked at the junction of Lea Bridge Road and Hoe Street, London E10, England.  The maquette will be on show in the Rivington Gallery Annexe, 3 Ravey Street, EC2 from 31 May. 

The artist laments that he has "hardly made anything at all out of it". We believe him?  Mr Everall tells us that he welcomes more dosh - sorry, enquiries - for indoor or outdoor commissions, the more expensive - that is, bigger - the better! 
Eamon's paintings can be seen here 18 May 2001
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DETROIT REPORTS:
"Stuckists stick to bucking art establishment" Stuckist book launch in the Detroit News
(and Mr Sewell's comments).
9 May 2001

DON'T MISS THIS PROGRAMME!
ARTVERTISING - CHANNEL 4 TV
3.55-4.25 am (note: AM) Friday 4 May
A sharp look at the British art scene.
Features the Stuckists and 'Art or Arse'


VILEST CHALLENGE TO A CABINET MINISTER, 29 May 2001
On Stuckist candidate in the General Election, in The Evening Standard (7th item).

ART REBELS TAKE ON SMITH ON POLLING DAY 
That was the headline in the Evening Standard Londoner's Diary today. It announced that Stuckist co-founder Charles Thomson was to stand in the next General Election against Culture Secretary Chris Smith. 

Thomson alleges (although this is nothing new for readers of this site - or Jackdaw magazine) that there are "people on Arts Council panels awarding taxpayers money to galleries which display works of art by people on the panels".  He also challenges the Culture Secretary to a debate on such issues, which the government's failure to address is condemned as "another example of Labour sleeze". 

Offers of help (or donations) for the campaign in the South Islington and Finsbury constituency - email stuckism@yahoo.co.uk 12 April 2001 back to top


STUCK IN FOLKESTONE
John Hosking who recently took the bit and founded the Folkestone Stuckists has now issued a statement claiming to be "the most stuck... of all Stuckist, being stuck out in the sticks" (does he know there is a group in Mid-Kentucky?).  As he is probably the only painter in Folkestone, he has broadened his franchise to "sculptors, writers, poets, performers and musicians" (not that there's many of them in Folkestone either).  John was a guest artist at the STUCK show Folkestone's Metropole Arts Centre last May. Contact him: art@jh2000.freeserve.co.uk   10 March 2001 back to top

THE BIG ISSUE: STUCKISTS v LOUISA BUCK (WHO'S SHE AGAIN?) 

The 5 February 2001 issue of The Big Issue (the magazine sold by the homeless, just in case anybody didn't know) kindly features a whole page on the Stuckists. 

It includes a bold colour print of Ella Guru's 'Divine' which is rapidly becoming a Stuckist icon and is actually called 'The Long Island Iced Tea Party II' (the wrong title appearing in our book and not the fault of Big Issue, we hasten to add). 

The article by Helen Sumpter is accurate, insightful, comprehensive and well worth getting. Order a back issue for a mere £1.50 from: http://www.bigissue.com/london/back.htm 

Ah yes, that Louisa Buck makes an appearance as the mandatory other side of the argument. Here's what she has to say (our comments in square brackets): "The Tate isn't a seething mass of work by Hirst, Emin and Lucas [never said it was, although on a recent visit there were three Emin videos playing and not one work by, for example, Peter Blake on view]... 

"I saw the last Stuckists exhibition and some of the work was just plain cack [so what exactly was the rest of it then? Some other kind of cack? Or maybe the rest of it was good? Who knows? Who's was the plain cack? Have some guts Louisa and name names: we promise to publish your analysis in full, so you can go down in art history as the person that called cack cack]. 

"There may be a lot of boring conceptual work [ah, we agree on something at least] but to have a grumpy [vivacious] reactionary [forward-thinking] movement against it is just daft." [Yes, of course it is - much better to stay bored, keep in with the in crowd and pocket the cash. (We hasten to add these comments are generalised observations and in no way allude to the person of Louisa Buck, who, as far as we know does not at all subscribe to such behaviour or attitudes)]. 

So what exactly can we find out about the character of the elusive Louisa and her take on the profundity of non-cack?  "Never...", according to an article by her in ES (Evening Standard) magazine last year, has the following quotation from US Museum Director Thomas Hoving "seemed more apt". Here then is what art is all about: "Art is sexy! Art is money-sexy! Art is money-sexy-social-climbing-fantastic!" 
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STUCKISM 20TH CENTURY ART MOVEMENT - OFFICIAL!
ALSO BIT ABOUT LOUISA BUCK (WHO'S SHE?) 

Wildbrush's Art Today site lists some sixty 20th Century art movements, amongst which you will doubtless be relieved (and also impressed by Wildbrush's astuteness) that Stuckism takes its place, (albeit with some glaring typos in evidence).  All the more odd then that Louisa Buck's recently revised book 'Moving Targets: a User's Guide to British Art now' fails to even mention the existence of Stuckism.  Come on Louisa (wait for it - dreadful pun imminent) buck up. So click on Wildbrush* and don't buy Louisa Buck's book (although it does mention Childish, so flick through it in the shop). 3 March 2001
Web site: www.dieter-obrecht.info/movements/mov_stuckism.htm Email: obrecht1@btinternet.com
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CHILDISH & STUCKISTS NEW VINYL SINGLE
A mysterious group by the name of 'Billy Childish and The Stuckists' (who bear an uncanny resemblance to The Buff Medways) are releasing a 7" vinyl version of the limited edition CD single already available. Purists should note the song 'Anachronism in the UK' is a different recording, and The Turner Priz Manifesto is read by Childish himself, as opposed to Charles Thomson on the CD. The single is released by Damaged Goods on 19 March. 1 March 2001