Art Market

Oddball Brit Art finds new pitch at a car boot sale
From The Telegraph, London – 5th July 2004
By John Crowley
Leading members of the Young British Artists movement swapped the serene confines of the art gallery yesterday for the noise and bustle of an East End car boot sale.

Hundreds of bargain hunters descended on the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, east London, drawn by the promise of knockdown art. In place of out-of-print books and bric-a-brac were outlandish works by Abigail Lane, Mat Collishaw and other conceptual artists.

Artist Reza Aramesh employed three balaclava-clad men to sell palm trees from the back of his car

One couple had chosen to celebrate their first wedding anniversary with cake and champagne while another artist had employed three balaclava-clad men to sell palm trees at £10 each from the back of his MG.

Gavin Turk, one of the best known artists, did a roaring trade selling flattened soft drinks cans at £25 apiece which he had picked up while cycling around the capital.

“I am not having a laugh at anyone’s expense,” he said. “This is something I would never be able to put in a gallery and people will have a good story to tell.”

Behind the good-natured banter was a corporate promotion for the car manufacturer Vauxhall, which organised the event. Sarah Baker, the American artist, was so taken by the idea that she became Vauxhall’s “cover girl” for the day, wearing its logo like a “bling-bling” medallion.

The largest crowd soon gathered around a Saab with actresses Katy Richardson and Jane Kelmo offering “Compliments to Flatter” for £2.

“People are simply not aware of the special aura or charisma they carry around with them,” said Miss Kelmo, sitting beside a sign which read: You’re so special – let us tell you how. “People desperately want to be told by strangers that they are objects of joy and beauty and we are happy to oblige.”

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