Rosanne Robertson from the Castlefield Gallery, artist Graham Dunning and myself are curating an event that invites artists to pledge artworks to burn. There is no other criteria than to pledge and burn a piece of artwork. After some discussion, we decided we wanted to keep in mind the political and economic climate of cuts, to raise awareness and questions about it through the process of the event. The artists are not required to make a point about these issues.
The idea came from a conversation that Rosanne had with Jennifer McDonald at the Doers, Drifters and Dreamers event at Islington Mill recently. The artists were both giving an item of clothing away in exchange for t shirts from past protests. Jennifer said it was a bit like what she was planning to do that evening, burning some of her artwork as she was going to India for 5 months. Rosanne thought it would be a great idea for an event where people could burn their artwork and discuss why they were doing it. Rosanne then contacted all the artists who were present including Matt Dalby (who also burned his Long Lankin sculpture), Helen Shanahan and Gary Fisher and asked if we wanted to be involved.
Louise Woodcock 