In 2004 Francis Bacon’s collection of sketches, photographs and documents were donated from the Bacon Studio’s to the Tate, described as one of the most generous gifts donated to the Tate. Estimated to be worth 20 million pounds.
The donor Barry Louge and close friend to Francis Bacon, had wanted his items go to the Tate, as it had been the artist’s favourite gallery.
Now Louge is threatening to rescind the gift, accusing the gallery of reneging on pledges to stage exhibitions of the material. He wrote repeatedly to the curatorial staff, asking when the show will happen.
Link to article click here.
As a practicing artist, I have experienced this time and time again from large arts institutions to small galleries, who are these curatorial teams? emails sent no reply? who qualifies to decided what art is shown in the UK and why are so many artists underrepresented? My conclusions is how institutionalised these systems are. Why are the few deciding for the whole, after all the public are paying these institutions from their own pocket through taxes, its about time these places are more scrutinised by the public and represented by the whole rather than the few.
Bacon’s work has gone to this national institution to be experienced by the public not locked away in a rich collectors lock up, and if Bacon is struggling to share his work at this institution what message does it send out to artists.
I’m still waiting to hear back from them?
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