by Diane Kiernander
Considering an alternative Christmas Present? How about an artwork gift from SPG? Read on…
This is probably a really tricky time to have Christmas. As the girl who once took up the kind offer of a hot water bottle so I could keep enjoying my wine whilst sitting outside at a restaurant on a really hot Glasgow day (thanks CafeZique in Hyndland!), I know all about the havoc this cost of living crisis is causing as I try to heat my house, so I’m not looking forward to thinking about a present buying budget (stop already with that awful word!) But, hey, we’ve had enough years in a row of gloomy, cancelled Christmas plans, so I say, this year we just make sure our gift giving is special, thoughtful and a little bit different.
And that is why I’m giving you this brilliant idea to buy new, original artwork from Sculpture Placement Group (SPG). It’s the gifting of a piece of artwork to someone who can then be fully involved in following the creation and evolution of a unique piece of sculpture from renowned, talented artists, selected by SPG. And it’s also the solution to a very 2022 problem! Go you! Read on to find out more.
SPG is a Community Interest project, set up in Glasgow by Kate Robertson and Michelle Emery Barker that recognises sculpture, while it is considered a declining artform, is one with so much still to offer individuals and communities. Sculpture plays a key part in that buzzy sustainability story of 2022, since the materials often used to create large-scale works can sometimes end up in lifetime storage set-ups, with the pieces mainly on display in places for only a short time. And the SPG project is tirelessly committed to finding community or business-based adoptive homes for such sculptural pieces.
But the gift idea is all about the creation of a piece of sculpture on a much smaller scale. SPG invites you to sign up and be part of its exclusive club. For as little as £35 per month, or a one-off, upfront payment of £210 (super good value for what you get!), you get to choose an artist from SPG’s current crop (details will be on the SPG website listed below) and then you follow the journey, through exclusive podcasts, virtual studio visits and online events with your chosen artist as they create the domestic sized sculpture piece you can eventually take into your home.
Previous names linked to the projects are dynamic, hugely influential talents, including the Brooklyn-based sculptor, sci-fi author and visual artist Joseph Buckley whose work has been variously infused with themes of or post colonialism, politics, family, British racism and injustice. Also in the line-up is animator, musician and sculptor Andy Holden, whose work has been shown in Tate Britain, Venice Biennale and Spike Island.
This project, and the club membership idea is bursting with an element of surprise and that’s everyone’s favourite characteristic of a Christmas gift. A sneaky peak at the website reveals Sara Barker is one of the sculptor names in the mix for 2023. To me, her work hints at science, gravity and metaphysical phenomena, and the possibilities those things bring to a sculptural piece would make me sign up. It’s a brilliant gift idea, any time of the year!
Considering an artwork gift from SPG? Visit –
