Money isn’t something we like to comment on, art really doesn’t need to be polluted by a price tag, this one did make us smile though. We ran a piece the other day about the early piece of Stik goodness being auctioned ORGAN THING: Stik Helps Rehouse Bristol Social Centre… London-based artist Stik is a painter who cares, an artist who remembers where he came from and shows concern for the community he lives in, his art is all about community, about people, about lives, about life. His work is now much sought after, collectors paying what some might consider silly money…
The piece had an estimate of £8000 to £12,000 on it, the rather beautifully innocent early piece just sold for far more than that, and the money is going back to the community and to the people that Stik’s art is really all about so that puts a couple of smiles on a couple of faces…
This press release just came in, we’ll reproduce it here….
12th December 2016, London/Bristol: “A Stik street art piece has been sold at Phillips Auction in London for £35,000 to raise funds for the relocation of the Magpie Social Centre in Bristol. The piece was painted on the outside wall of the building back in 2009 on one of Stik’s trips to the city and was rediscovered shortly before the collective were evicted earlier this year. Stik only permits the sale of his street artworks when the money raised goes directly back to the community and he readily agreed to help them place the sale.
Stik (second from left) and the Magpie Collective at Phillips December 2016 ‘New Now’ Auction London with artwork, ‘Magpie’
Lee Guy, one of the directors of the new Magpie Project Space enthused: “We’re grateful to Stik for authenticating this artwork and to Phillips auction for their generous support in the sale. The money raised will ensure that the Magpie will live on as a free arts space for our community for years to come.”
The collective who formerly squatted the vacant lot for 10 years are now browsing various properties in the Bristol area.
The former Magpie Building at Ashley Road, Stokes Croft, Bristol (Photo by Dave Stuart)
A list of permitted Stik street art pieces can be found at http://stik.org/fundraising/
Missing Communtiy Artwork: http://www.ial.uk.com/street-artist-and-community-fight-for-dismembered-mural/
Young People Petition for Return of Community Mural: https://www.change.org/p/andrew-lamberty-return-our-community-mural?recruiter=538476896&utm_source=share_for_starters&utm_medium=copyLink
About Stik – Stik started painting unofficial, socially conscious murals in his hometown of Hackney, East London in 2001. His simple stick figures wordlessly tell the story of his community and he frequently collaborates with hospitals, charities and homeless organisations. Working from his East London studio, these projects are largely self-funded and he now creates monumental artworks with communities across the world.
For further information about Stik visit http://stik.org/
For further information about the Magpie Collective and their work visit https://magpiebristol.com/
THE ORGAN 