Ian was asked to join the debate by the Huddersfield Examiner about the councils proposed sale of Francis Bacon's Figure Study 2 which had been donated to the Council but is expensive to insure.
Luckily, as he had followed the debate, and also its not the first time it has been spoken about, he had an opinion. Too much so and ended up sending an essay in response. You can read it here
Ian actually got many positive responses about his view on protecting the piece, as well as what it represents about how we treat culture n a wider context. One warm review came from the Contemporary Arts Society themselves
Ian talks about how regional towns need to have culture and to be able to share it around the country to help inspire other people, especially children. He goes on to discus the soft power that culture represents and the negative impact a possible sale would have on the town. To read the extended version click here
UPDATE!
It was a success! the Contemporary Art Society slapped the council down and pointed out that if they tried to sell, ownership would revert to them and they would give it another Institution. Good news!
