Peter Saville > Peter Saville: Accessories To An Artwork - Paul Stolper Gallery 10 October - 22 November 2008 < Events

Publicity [from paulstolper.com]

Larry Bell, Peter Blake, Anna Blessmann, Martin Boyce, Slater Bradley, Jarvis Cocker, Jeremy Deller, Thomas Demand, Todd Eberle, Brian Eno, Liam Gillick, Douglas Gordon, Richard Hamilton, Richard Kern, Robert Longo, Sarah Morris, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Philippe Parreno, Wolfgang Tillmans, Gavin Turk, Neville Wakefield, Cerith Wyn Evans.

Paul Stolper is pleased to announce 'Accessories to an artwork', an exhibition by Peter Saville. Peter has designed and fabricated a white cardboard flat-pack plinth, a number of which will be distributed throughout the gallery. Made of white centred display board, and in a prototype edition of 200, the plinth measures 96cm x 35cm x 35cm and replicates those conventionally made from wood. He has invited 22 others to place anything of their choice on a plinth.

Traditionally the plinth functions inside the museum or gallery as a pedestal for displaying sculptural works or objects. Peter's 'flat-pack' plinth recognizes the public's own ability, and transfers to them the power of curatorial decision, allowing anyone now to pass judgment on what is worth looking at. It acknowledges a changing audience, and their will to consume art.

The flat-pack plinth is their DIY accessory in a time when culture has briefly stopped to let millions of people on board. The flat-pack plinth has a direct correspondence with Peter's observation that "it all looks like art to me now". When Peter exhibited his 'Estate' at the Migros Museum, Zurich, 12.11.05 - 08.01.06 he deliberately presented the last room as work in progress. Included were objects that he knew did not have contemporary artistic currency, but objects that somehow still seemed pertinent - materials of an idea. Not wanting to present these objects as artworks, Peter had laid them out on tables, apart from one, an exceptional plastic bird, which he chose to place on a plinth. It was in this action that Peter appreciated the transformative energy of the plinth, an energy he felt others were ready to share.

Peter Saville's Flat-pack plinth is available for sale from the gallery in an edition of 200, from September 24th. The first 100 will be sold at a price of £50 + vat (exclusive of packing, and delivery). Sold plinths must be collected from the gallery. Orders of no more than 5 may be made. Please call the gallery to purchase or for more information.

Private View

The private view took place on Thursday 9 October at the new Paul Stolper Gallery (resplendent with its new Peter Saville-designed street sign) in Museum Street almost right in front of the British Museum (and across the road from the Museum Tavern selling the rather excellent new Morrissey Fox bitter).

Peter Saville was there to launch his exhibition of other people's creations being exhibited on his new flat-pack plinths. Currently in a prototype edition of 200, they are, according to Saville being snapped up quickly not only by individuals with fifty quid to spare and nowhere to put their telephones but also by museums and galleries. A mass-produced run seems inevitable.

Plinths aside the exhibited works range from the esoteric to the conceptual via outrageously funny. Jeremy Deller's homage to Fantin-Latour's bowl of flowers and hence the cover of Power, Corruption and Lies is matched by Todd Eberle's more obvious placing of the record itself. Robert Longo, artist and director of the video for Bizarre Love Triangle, offers us mini-mushroom cloud. Brian Eno's light flowers are just Eno being Eno. Jarvis Cocker's cut out trees are oddly beautiful. The best is saved til last though with Sarah Morris and Liam Gillick's "plinth on plinth", a loving homage to Rachel Whiteread.

Amongst those enjoying also the show were Ben Kelly, Kevin Cummins and the actress Tamsin Greig. Hi to Iain & Bunny, Andy and Mark.

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