Pictures of… artworks made from the ashes of Glasgow School of Art fire

Art has risen from the ashes of the 2014 Glasgow School of Art fire with a series of works by internationally-known artists that each features debris from the devastating fire.

The works are to be auctioned at Christie’s London in March, with the money raised going towards the restoration of the art school’s fire-damaged Mackintosh building.

25 artists including Sir Antony Gormley, Grayson Perry, Jenny Saville and Simon Starling have created pieces. Also contributing works for the auction are Martin Boyce, David Shrigley, Chantal Joffe, Cornelia Parker and The Chapman Brothers.

Each contributor was sent a piece of debris from the fire that was specifically chosen for them, with a note explaining what the piece was. They were then left to create a work that utilised the debris in some way.

Douglas Gordon explains the process: “I was sent a small section of wood that came from the famous library in the building. It sat in my studio in Berlin, on my desk, next to a classic ’60s ashtray that a friend had given me – the irony.

“In any case it reminded me of my times in the library, where one either craned one’s neck in order to look up very high, or bent one’s head in order to read a book. It has a kind of (traditional) religious or at least a devotional gesture to it. And when I looked at the pieces of wood, I moved them slightly and realised that it was, indeed, a cross.

“Regarding the material and the process – I wanted to use extreme heat in order to make something that would not burn – therefore, the bronze.”

Money raised from the auction will go towards the Mackintosh Campus Appeal, which has so far raised £18.5 million. A further £13.5 million still needs to be found in order to meet the appeal’s £32 million target.

Professor Tom Inns, director of the Glasgow School of Art, said: “The Mackintosh Campus Project will enable The Glasgow School of Art to restore and upgrade the Mackintosh Building as a home for all first-year students… The project symbolises our commitment to our heritage and our confidence in the future.”

The new art works will be on display at Christie’s in London King Street from 3-7 March 2017, before they are auctioned on 8 March.

Images:
1. Antony Gormley, SITE II, 2016, Charcoal and latex on paper 111 x 76.5cm © Antony Gormley
2. Chantal Joffe, Self Portrait with Ishbel at Glasgow School of Art, 2016, 42 x 59 cm. © Chantal Joffe
3. Martin Boyce, Untitled, 2016, Burnt wood from Mackintosh Library GSA, painted acrylic with the words ‘Spook School’141 x 83 x 10 cm. © Martin Boyce
4. Douglas Gordon, A given, 2017, Burned wood debris from the Glasgow School of Art Mackintosh Building casted in bronze, 32 x 22 x 8 cm. © Studio lost but found / Douglas Gordon / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2017. Photo: Studio lost but found / Katharina Kiebacher
5. Cornelia Parker, A Slippery Slope (between Chalk and Charcoal), 2017, Chalk from the White Cliffs of Dover, 1920’s drawing, piece of charcoal from burnt Rennie Mackintosh Library, Glasgow School ofArt. 40x26x38cm
6. Grayson Perry, Art is Dead, Long Live Art, 2016 Glazed Ceramic with charcoal inside, 20.5 x 33 cm © Grayson Perry

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