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| Major Paolozzi sculpture facing decay 'because no one wants to own it' Major Paolozzi sculpture facing decay 'because no one wants to own it' | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A masterpiece by the 20th-century British sculptor Sir Eduardo Paolozzi is deteriorating because no one is taking responsibility for it, his foundation has warned. | A masterpiece by the 20th-century British sculptor Sir Eduardo Paolozzi is deteriorating because no one is taking responsibility for it, his foundation has warned. |
| The sculpture, an enormous abstracted head titled Piscator, is considered a London landmark. Commissioned by British Rail in 1980 for the forecourt of Euston station, it still stands on its original site but looks forlorn and filthy. | The sculpture, an enormous abstracted head titled Piscator, is considered a London landmark. Commissioned by British Rail in 1980 for the forecourt of Euston station, it still stands on its original site but looks forlorn and filthy. |
| Toby Treves, a former Tate curator and trustee of the Eduardo Paolozzi Foundation, told the Guardian the charity had struggled for years to find out who owns it so that it can be restored. | Toby Treves, a former Tate curator and trustee of the Eduardo Paolozzi Foundation, told the Guardian the charity had struggled for years to find out who owns it so that it can be restored. |
| He said: “Originally it was acquired by British Rail but, after privatisation, ownership of this work … on the British Rail estate fell into a black hole. We have been trying to find out if Network Rail owns it, but they have been extremely slow in coming back to us – presumably because, if it is their responsibility, they don’t want to have to pay to maintain it.” | He said: “Originally it was acquired by British Rail but, after privatisation, ownership of this work … on the British Rail estate fell into a black hole. We have been trying to find out if Network Rail owns it, but they have been extremely slow in coming back to us – presumably because, if it is their responsibility, they don’t want to have to pay to maintain it.” |
| He added: “The absurdity of this is that the foundation would willingly pay to restore and clean the sculpture, but we can’t do it without the permission of the owners and, since nobody seems to know who they are, the sculpture languishes unloved and filthy.” | He added: “The absurdity of this is that the foundation would willingly pay to restore and clean the sculpture, but we can’t do it without the permission of the owners and, since nobody seems to know who they are, the sculpture languishes unloved and filthy.” |
| Any contemporary public art gallery would jump at the chance to own such an important sculpture, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. | Any contemporary public art gallery would jump at the chance to own such an important sculpture, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. |
| Paolozzi, who died in 2005, is best known for his vibrant mosaics at Tottenham Court Road tube station in London and the monumental bronze of Sir Isaac Newton outside the British Library. | Paolozzi, who died in 2005, is best known for his vibrant mosaics at Tottenham Court Road tube station in London and the monumental bronze of Sir Isaac Newton outside the British Library. |
| Treves said of Piscator: “It’s one of his most prominent public sculptures in London.” | Treves said of Piscator: “It’s one of his most prominent public sculptures in London.” |
| A hybrid of mechanical and organic shapes, it is made from cast iron with an aluminium finish and measures 3.1 metres x 4.6 metres x 1.85 metres. The sculpture was a homage to Erwin Piscator, the 20th-century German Expressionist and political theatre director who worked with the playwright and poet Bertolt Brecht in Berlin. | A hybrid of mechanical and organic shapes, it is made from cast iron with an aluminium finish and measures 3.1 metres x 4.6 metres x 1.85 metres. The sculpture was a homage to Erwin Piscator, the 20th-century German Expressionist and political theatre director who worked with the playwright and poet Bertolt Brecht in Berlin. |
| Paolozzi once said: “Because of a reasonable budget, we were able to spend some time on research and use the same kinds of paints that have been developed for oil rigs, which are absolutely vandal-proof, which was one of the considerations, and will also be able to sustain without any maintenance for a period of time.” | Paolozzi once said: “Because of a reasonable budget, we were able to spend some time on research and use the same kinds of paints that have been developed for oil rigs, which are absolutely vandal-proof, which was one of the considerations, and will also be able to sustain without any maintenance for a period of time.” |
| But Derek Pullen, of sculpture conservation consultancy SculpCons, said that beyond its “unsightly” appearance “there may be more serious structural problems developing inside”. | But Derek Pullen, of sculpture conservation consultancy SculpCons, said that beyond its “unsightly” appearance “there may be more serious structural problems developing inside”. |
| He told the foundation that the artwork was “soiled by oily traffic dirt”, with rust at some of the upper joints and a worn paint layer where it was used as a seat. | He told the foundation that the artwork was “soiled by oily traffic dirt”, with rust at some of the upper joints and a worn paint layer where it was used as a seat. |
| Network Rail said: “Network Rail does not own the Piscator sculpture and so is not responsible for maintaining it. Though we are the freeholder of the land it sits on, the leaseholder of that area is Sydney & London [Properties].” | Network Rail said: “Network Rail does not own the Piscator sculpture and so is not responsible for maintaining it. Though we are the freeholder of the land it sits on, the leaseholder of that area is Sydney & London [Properties].” |
| S&L, which owns and manages commercial properties, also denied ownership: “Although S&L are leaseholders, they’re leaseholders for the physical buildings, not the space outside.” | S&L, which owns and manages commercial properties, also denied ownership: “Although S&L are leaseholders, they’re leaseholders for the physical buildings, not the space outside.” |
| Treves likened the responses to “a buck being passed”. | Treves likened the responses to “a buck being passed”. |
| News of the sculpture’s demise came as the Whitechapel Gallery announced a major Paolozzi retrospective for next year. | News of the sculpture’s demise came as the Whitechapel Gallery announced a major Paolozzi retrospective for next year. |