Flux:
13 Years of Deutsche Bank Pyramid Awards
Douglas
White, Icarus Palm, 2005
Courtesy
Cass Sculpture Foundation
The black palm tree
made of rubber tires and car parts in the park of the Cass
Sculpture Foundation in Goodwood looks as though a rocket had
plummeted, burst apart in the middle, and burned out. Icarus Palm
is the title of this sculpture by Douglas
White. He is one of the many young artists to receive the Deutsche
Bank Pyramid Award over the past years. The prize was called into
being in 1993 to help young creative minds studying at one of the art
schools in London enter professional life – fine artists, graphic and
fashion designers, illustrators, photographers, musicians, and stage
artists. After all, what use are brilliant ideas and a "Summa cum laude"
diploma when you don’t have the money or the know-how you need to get
started after graduation?
This is where the pioneering program
comes in: it fortifies young talents prior to graduation in a variety of
ways. Along with the prize money of 8,000 British pounds for each of the
ten annual winners, there’s also a course at the East
London Small Business Centre, advice and assistance in starting a
business given by a mentor at Deutsche
Bank, as well as a chance to get involved in and profit from one of
the bank’s many art programs in London.
The concept focuses
less on brilliant artistic ideas than on a combination of innovative ideas
and business spirit. Over 80 young creative people have profited from this
unusual sponsorship program thus far, receiving assistance in the
difficult transitory period following their studies – reason enough to
celebrate the 14th
year of the Pyramid Awards in a special way. Along with Icarus
Palm by Douglas White, the anniversary exhibition Flux
at the National Theatre
is also presenting recent works of 11 other former award winners from the
areas of fine arts, fashion, and design.
Sam
Buxton, MIKRO House, 2003
Courtesy
Sam Buxton
|
Glenn Boulter, The Negative Album, Edition
of 25 artists books, 2006
Courtesy
Earwig Boots
In addition to the classical
disciplines of painting (Francesca
Lowe), drawing (Ann
Mulrooney), and sculpture (Graham
Hudson and Gereon
Krebber), the hybrids between various media and fields are
particularly fascinating. Thus, the tiny foldable metal sculptures titled Mikro
by Sam Buxton
are situated somewhere between design and art object and are marketed
under their own label.
In his digital drawings of natural processes, Daro
Montag explores the boundaries between art and technology, while Anna
Nicole Ziesche’s films wager a balance between design, theater,
fashion, and body art.
|
Frank Leder, from "Break That Vicious
Circle" Fall/Winter Collection,
Paris
Men's Fashion Week, 2005
Courtesy
Frank Leder
|
And the abundance of ideas these shooting stars implement
to position themselves on the market is every bit as impressive: Frank
Leder realizes his ideas as an independent fashion designer, art
director, and in collaboration with the singer and songwriter Florian
Horwath, Glenn
Boulter founded the initiative "Earwig Books" to produce artists’
books and offers workshops at universities and schools, and Tom
Gauld founded a publishing
company together with Simone Lia
where the two can independently produce their crazy and desperately sad
comic strips.
Not only has the creative potential these former
graduates promised years ago when they received the award long since
fulfilled itself through the quality of their works and ideas; each of the
artists exhibited here was able to use the Pyramid Award to launch
a successful career on the international stage.
[1]
[2]
|
