A new work by Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Wallinger, as part of a campaign against the government’s proposed funding cuts of the arts, shows a copy of JMW Turner’s 1839 masterpiece, The Fighting Temeraire, carrying a notice marked “25% cut”.

Turner referred to The Fighting Temeraire as “his darling”, refusing to ever sell it until he finally donated it to the National Gallery. When the nation was asked by the BBC to nominate the greatest painting on show in the UK’s museums and galleries it came first with 25% of the votes.

The title of Mark Wallinger’s new work is “Reckless”. He explains: “I describe the cuts as a reckless adventure. In fact temeraire means reckless in French and by removing the obsolete ship from the scene I am rendering the painting wreckless”.

To sign the petition please visit http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-arts.html

A striking new work by Fourth Plinth artist Yinka Shonibare was unveiled today as part of the campaign supported by over 100 leading British artists against the government’s proposed funding cuts of the arts.

The artist’s work shows a slash across a piece of brightly coloured African fabric for which the artist has become well known, with the caption: “Stop Cutting”.
 

To sign the petition please visit http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-arts.html

The second artwork commissioned for the campaign against the proposed 25% cuts in government funding of the arts, is Jeremy Deller and Scott King’s poster below.

Please click on the poster image to download your own poster for public display.

To sign the petition please visit http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-arts.html

Artists join campaign against funding cuts

Over a hundred leading artists including Anthony Caro, Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley, Richard Hamilton, David Hockney, Howard Hodgkin, Anish Kapoor, Bridget Riley and Rachel Whiteread have joined the campaign to make the case against the proposed 25% cuts in government funding of the arts.

The campaign was launched on Friday 10th September with the release of a new video animation by artist David Shrigley highlighting the value of the arts. Each week the work of a different artist, created in response to the campaign, will be released. Jeremy Deller and Mark Wallinger will follow David Shrigley.

Supporters of the artists’ campaign are asked to sign a petition, which will be sent to the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt. The petition states that it has taken 50 years to create a vibrant arts culture in Britain that is the envy of the world and it appeals to the government not to slash arts funding and risk destroying this long-term achievement and the social and economic benefits it brings. The artists acknowledge that reasonable cuts and efficiencies are necessary but they fear that the 25% cuts being proposed will destroy much of what has been achieved.

This campaign is being organised by the London branch of the Turning Point Network, a national consortium of over 2,000 arts organisations and artists dedicated to working together and finding new ways to support the arts in the UK.