Works of art which were created as part of the Armitage Thanks charity fundraising campaign go under the hammer later today (Friday) as part of the Fountain17 project.
An auction of 50 lots will take place at the Queens House Showcase in Hull city centre at 7pm, with half of the proceeds split between Samaritans Hull and Bowel & Cancer Research.
Fountain17 – a collaboration between Armitage Shanks and Hull School of Art and Design – was inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s celebrated masterpiece, Fountain, a urinal which the artist turned on its back and signed ‘R. Mutt 1917’.
In April 1917, Duchamp submitted his ‘readymade’ Fountain to the Society of Independent Artists’ first exhibition in New York. The exhibit was rejected.
This action redirected the trajectory of 20th century art and, in 2004, 500 elected art professionals voted Fountain the most influential artwork of the 20th century.
In celebration of Duchamp’s work, Armitage Shanks launched an art competition in partnership with the Hull School of Art and Design as part of its bicentenary celebrations, inviting young artists to respond to Duchamp’s Fountain.
The works include sculpture, painting, performance, film and of course urinals. Those contributing work include Turner Prize winning collective Assemble, renowned author and poet Lemn Sissay MBE, award-winning designer Ben Kelly, Hull School of Art and Design alumnus sculptor Neville Gabie, artists Anna Bean, Andy Dakin and Adele Howitt, plus a host of others.
Tony Rheinberg from Armitage Shanks and Fountain17, said: “We’re really looking forward to the outcome of tonight’s auction and we’re hoping to raise a significant sum of money to donate to our charity partners.
“It’s not too late to get involved and there are some really fascinating works of art available to bid on.”