Friday 5 March 2010

SITTERS UNITE FOR ART INSTALLATION SOFASIDE

This is not TDC's new 'post Ezekiel' Cabinet, though some may consider they couldn't do any worse but the latest work from renowned art sofa-sitting artist Ewan McSporran.

Strife reporter Andrea Woodgirl filed this report earlier.

A sit on the sofa was made into a visual masterpiece this week as pram loads of art loving tots were coralled into sitting on a Margate sofa. All the volunteers were required to sit an equal distance from each other as they sat on the sofa for seven minutes.


Edinburgh based artist Ewan McSporran, who is well known for his art sofa-sits conducted this performance piece by inviting mums as far away as Brighton and Dorset, to bring their babies to sit on this sofa for seven minutes. Mr McSporran, 65, an artist for 40 years said: " I think it went fantastically well, it was really great. It is the first time I have made a work on a Margate sofa. It is fantastic. The work is about experience not material. It might look like a sculpture but isn't. Each participant is also the viewer. All my work involves sofa-sitting , but always in a group"


The work was comissioned by the Turner Contemptible (but paid for by the tax-payer) and a video of this fantastic sofa-sitting experience will be shown in the gallery if its funding stream from the tax-payer is not cut off. 


VIEWPOINT
(from Strife Reporter Andrea Woodgirl)
It was good to see the participants suffering for their art on the sofa. The noise of crying babies and the scent of filled nappies reminded me that art is not just about traditional aesthetics and pretty paintings. It is also about simpler ideas and experiences such as sitting, shape, howling and dirty nappies. This serves as a wake up call. Work like this could inject hope into Margate as it attracts sofa-sitting supporters from all over the country to come here. Some participants came from as far away as Dorset. When I spoke to Baby Isabelle from Dorset, she said, " Waaaah. Waaaaah!  Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"


(Editor:  Andrea, as you have clearly lost your marbles, take 2 weeks holiday immediately to recover your wits!)
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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Becareful Kent Childrens services dont see this little lot; ripe pickings for 'forced adoption' targets !

Anonymous said...

I love the ironic, post-modernist arrangement of drinks in the background.

Wine, bottle of milk, coke and beer.

Anonymous said...

Are you sure this isn't the TDC Cabinet? The number is about right and the level of maturity matches. There's even one asleep on the left.

Ewan McSporran said...

Well greeted, 20:15. Glad ye can see the wee touches that make this perticular sofa-siting such a great artistic experience for the wee bairns.

Peter C said...

I suspect that most of those babies were threatened with having their sweets taken away if they didn't "volunteer", & that sofa was obviously cleaned for the first time in years especially for this event.

Anonymous said...

Very UN their Bertie - good to see that social inclusion took place!!

Anonymous said...

Here is another example of the is new art form :Thanets new art movement.

In this one people are sitting in rows mainly in silence and now and again one will stand up and say a few words.

Anonymous said...

How can this be art you fool!

You have to walking around a swimming pool. That's art!!

****ing dickhead.

Michael Child said...

ars est celare artum