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”.
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1 Comment
Sudborough Green
Wallinger’s work might more immediately refer to the way the Turner Bequest has been cut up , its “Gallery” still only a dream.