“Crash and Burn” art exhibition: Angus Macaskill raises money for Haiti

Thanks to Pete Holley for this article

For the full article see: www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Artist-s-work-goes-flames-Crash-Burn-exhibition/article-1771911-detail/article.html

crash-and-burn-angus_macaskillAn Olveston artist said an emotional goodbye to hours of his work with a special bonfire after an exhibition in aid of victims of the Haiti earthquake.  Angus Macaskill used his 60th birthday celebrations to hold a week-long 'Crash and Burn' exhibition of his work.

As the week progressed he continuously dropped the prices of the paintings and drawings culminating in any unsold items being put on a ceremonial bonfire.

Mr Macaskill, who is known for working with Pete Dalby to create attention-grabbing art works such as Gorgeous Bottle, messages using recycled bottles from the Avon Gorge, and Earthbound, an art show in a hot air balloon, said he had raised about £3000 for relief work in Haiti.

He said: "I've been involved in art for a long time but as I drew near to my birthday I wanted to express gratitude for the many good things that have happened in my life in the first 60 years. Everyone loves a bonfire and giving the full proceeds to charities that I support anyway seemed to be a small way of doing this."

'Crash and Burn' opened on Mr Macaskill's birthday at the Centrespace Gallery, in Corn Street, and every day prices were crashed by 20 per cent. About 300 pieces of his work were sold off, including 35 of his larger painting works. The remaining pieces, mainly drawings that Mr Macaskill estimates represent about 2,000 hours of his work, were placed on the bonfire at the weekend.

"This was a bit of performance art itself," he said. "About 80 people turned up to the bonfire and some of them were very upset on my behalf. It's not the first time an artist has destroyed his own works, people say even Banksy has defaced his own work in the past.

"I did get rather emotional about the burning although I have taken pictures so I have a record of everything."

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