A means of artistic production that has fallen by the wayside because of cost and conservationist concerns, tapestry is a historical medium that yields rich results. Every now and then, someone invests the time and money to commission artists to reinvent this age-old art form, but few have approached it on the ambitious scale of Banners of Persuasion, a London-based art organization that recently charged 15 contemporary artists with turning their best imagery into woven works of art. Previously previewed in London and Miami, a selection of these exquisite editions is now on view at James Cohan Gallery in New York.
The storied legacy of British pranksterism gets a new chapter with a tidbit of highly entertaining news concerning our favorite box mix-master Gavin Turk. One of the original YBAs, Turk is known for his highly irreverent found-object installations and sculptures featuring his own likeness. One of Turk’s pieces — a brick signed by the artist and worth an estimated £3,000 — was featured in an exhibition called (appropriately) “Bricks.” Only at the end of the show did curators realize that Turk’s original had been swapped out with a run-of-the-mill brick from another section of the gallery. Estimated worth? 40 pence.
Brillo 5, a work of art by Gavin Turk, will be auctioned off at Christie’s postwar and contemporary art sale on September 23. It is estimated that Brillo 5 will reel in $30,000. Brillo 5 is the cardboard box to your right. Christie’s describes the piece of art as “an ironic and ambiguous work that is essentially a copy of a cardboard box.” Be it art or be it a cardboard box, Turk’s creation will no doubt pay the bills. With that in mind, we realized that boxes are exactly what we need to turn this economy around. After the jump, we present 10 of the city’s most underrated (and valuable) cardboard boxes. Live well and prosper. Read More »
