Bringing art to the masses is the latest brainwave of Innocent Drinks co-founder Richard Reed who has just initiated the Art Everywhere project that will see some of the UK’s greatest works displayed across the country in what is the world’s largest open-air exhibition or, in their own words, ‘A very, very big art show’. The showcase, which will feature 57 British masterpieces, will be displayed on some 22, 000 poster sites and billboards nationwide, with the proceeds going directly into the Art Fund.
From Monday 12th August screens will be erected and selected pieces of art will be visible for all to see, in the hope that the 90% of the population who purportedly never make it to a gallery can appreciate the paintings, sculpture and photographs in a less formal setting. Including masterpieces such as Waterhouse’s The Lady of Shalott and John Everett Millais’s Ophelia, as well as more contemporary offerings from the likes of Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Damien Hirst and Sarah Lucas, the general public will be treated to a collection of pivotal artworks that will then be put to a vote.
Already getting the thumbs up from legendary pop artist Sir Peter Blake, who hopes the endeavour will ultimately encourage people to go see real thing, the collaboration, which also involves CBS Outdoor, is a groundbreaking way to invite a response from a section of the British public who might never consider attending an art exhibition. By broadening the appeal of these pieces, Art Everywhere is a pioneering way in which to dispel the myth of art as an elitist pastime.
Speaking on his latest venture, Reed was positive the campaign, which has already raised £133,000 of its £200, 000 target, will provide a more accessible route into the medium whilst affirming Britain as a hub for creativity; “If we can’t get the average guy in the street to go into a gallery, maybe we can get the art from the gallery into the street” before adding “… as a country, we have this incredible creative talent. I want this exhibition to celebrate the fact that the UK is the home of brilliant art.”
This unique nationwide billboard exhibition, which further re-iterates Damien Hirst’s view that “art is for everyone”, is another step in the democratisation of an art form that has long since remained aligned with the middle classes. It truly is a case of “If Mohammed won’t come to the mountain, then the mountain shall duly display some incredible art”… or something like that.
The posters will be on display across the country between 12-25 August. For more information please go to the art everywhere website.
The post Art Everywhere appeared first on HUNGER TV.