Idiot insults veterans in the name of art

[TheWizard]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006530141,00.html
Bearing in mind the publication this is in, but does this make anyone feel repulsed at such behavoiur?
Why on earth do the 'Arts Council' give out money to such tripe?
What does this plank think he will achieve?
Do we not have enough daily reminders of the tragedy and travesty going on over there without this idiot making a t*at of himself? :ugh:
This piece of art is meant to be provocative. I’m only being paid £4,000. That’s not a lot to lie still in a street for a week.”

Well, I know plenty of people who have to lie in a lot worse for a lot less than that to stay alive :*
Oh, anyone know any Redcaps around the Birmingham area who fancy a day at the shops? :rolleyes:

[Mr-AEO]

Samantha Roberts, whose husband Sgt Steve Roberts, 33, died in Iraq after giving up his body armour, said: “It’s bad taste. It is pathetic and he sounds like a class-A stupid bugger.”

I think that sums this up!:D

[Wyler]

With the way he wears that beret he looks like Michael Crawford from 'Some Mothers do ave em'.

I agree it is crass and stupid BUT, if we are going to fight for freedom of speech and expression then we have to take the rough with the smooth I am afraid.

I bet he gets plenty of stick anyway and I would put a weeks wages on him getting 'Happy Slapped' by the time he is done. :E

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Now I am the first in line with a pitchfork when it comes to having a hang 'em and flog 'em meeting BUT.

I think it's a pretty striking 'piece of art'. It would certainly provoke a reaction in me. And probably might just make the average Sharon or Dave pause for a millisecond.

It is not critical of soldiers or RMP. It is merely someone pretending to be a soldier in uniform lying dead on the street.

My first reaction is that's a good thing. It will take things like this to get through to the average inhabitant that the UK military is dying, regularly, on streets, this week and every week.

I could be persuaded otherwise, of course, and £4k seems on the generous side.

WWW

[228 OCU]

What the :mad:!

[London Mil]

£4K, of my money. Barking.

[TheWizard]

Now I am the first in line with a pitchfork when it comes to having a hang 'em and flog 'em meeting BUT.
I think it's a pretty striking 'piece of art'. It would certainly provoke a reaction in me. And probably might just make the average Sharon or Dave pause for a millisecond.
It is not critical of soldiers or RMP. It is merely someone pretending to be a soldier in uniform lying dead on the street.
My first reaction is that's a good thing. It will take things like this to get through to the average inhabitant that the UK military is dying, regularly, on streets, this week and every week.
I could be persuaded otherwise, of course, and £4k seems on the generous side.
WWW
I hear what you are saying WWW, but he looks more like a dosser than a 'dead' soldier. There are many ex-servicemen who still sleep on the streets and are homeless. I MIGHT have been a little more receptive if his actions were to highlight this problem AND his fee was donated to a charity such as Combat Stress or similar. However, it doesn't and he hasn't.
Also it is grossly insensitive so close to Remembrance Sunday and the recent deaths in Iraq.
Justg read on AARSE that he has been stopped by the police for his own safety!:D Idiot.
http://www.arrse.co.uk/cpgn2/Forums/viewtopic/t=51426/postdays=0/postorder=asc/start=45.html
Read the links to this idiots other 'live arts'. He is nothing more than a criminal.:*

[side salad]

A week of the real thing would do him good, he may need the 4k then to replace all the pants he would go through.

The money annoys me more than anything, I can think of a few things that 4 k could buy that would be much more help than this.

[R 21]

£4000 buys a lot of fire proof kit, body armour etc. let alone the arts council wasting 1.1 billion in the next 2 years!!!

A shamefull waste :confused:

[Lon More]

If the police stopped him, has he repaid the money? or at least donated it?

[robdesbois]

I have to say I understand the reactions of everyone here.
BUT! This man's aim was to provoke a reaction - and that is what he achieved. Yes, it is upsetting, especially with the timing of it, but isn't that the whole damn point?! War IS upsetting, and no we DON'T get enough reminders of it.

No, it's not bad taste, bad taste would be wearing a clown hat. This man has done something risky - we can see it has provoked strong feelings of anger - but he is not trying to mock the losses suffered by anyone, he's trying to remind people of what happens.

Come on people, get off your high horses and see it for what it's supposed to be - a stark reminder, not a joke.

EDIT: and yes, I agree this money should go back into the community minus any sort of expense incurred during that week.
EDIT2: ok having properly read through TheWizard's linked page I retract this, this man is OBVIOUSLY a completely insane w@nker.

[BluntedAtBirth]

What a pity he has been stopped. I was sure that we could have relied upon the Great British Public, who waved their kebabs at the starving David Blaine and helpfully fired golf balls at his perspex 'cage' to release him into the Thames, to have provided him with a taste of danger, particularly around closing time...

[TheWizard]

War IS upsetting, and no we DON'T get enough reminders of it.

I beg to differ on that one. Ok, so some of us are unfortunate to experience it first hand and I would never wish some sights on other people. 'War' (or the by products of it) is constantly on the TV, in the papers and it is very hard to escape the average persons notice. Be it Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon (the list goes on), there is not a day goes by without some sort of horrible image being shown. Yes, you can turn away and ignore them but if that is the case what is the point of lying in the street looking like a dosser from a fancy dress party? How will that make people more aware of 'war'? A lot of youngsters these days see worse on TV or video games and would just laugh at the behaviour of this fool and more than likely instill a further act of violence of their own! The bottom line however, is that he was doing this for financial gain which negates any 'message' that he MAY have been trying to get across.
However, as you have now seen, the man is a sensationalist idiot.:hmm:

[GPMG]

Gives me a good idea as an anti war protest though, count up the number of service personel killed in Tony Liars crusades and get that many people to dress up in uniform and lie down at the entrance to Downing street.

It would give a pretty bloody graphic reminder to that **** as to what it is costing this country and it's families.

Don't get me wrong I'm not a pacifist but I can't see the point B-Liars little wars.

[jonny5]

Just been looking at mcgowans website and it even has his mobile phone number on it.
07944533010
For those of you that are interested, tell the t**t what you think about him!:ok:

[jonny5]

i have just been on his website reading about his other stunts and yes.....

he should be put down immediately as he is an oxygen thief!:*

[robdesbois]

'War' (or the by products of it) is constantly on the TV, in the papers and it is very hard to escape the average persons notice.

True, civvies do get a lot of reminders, it's the bad news we always see for better or worse. Downing street would be a much better place to put this - that's where the message needs driving home.

[Fg Off Max Stout]

I, like most military personnel, am one of these small c conservative types, with a technical/scientific leaning and a belief that art hangs on walls to impress viewers with its beauty or merit. Most things referred to as art that don't fit into this category send a shiver down my spine. Whilst I have strongly negative opinions on the latter category, I accept that these artists have a right to free speech, even if they are only able to express themselves through the medium of formaldehyde. What really grips my sh1t, though, is when public money, my taxes, are used to fund work that is illegal, unethical or deliberately offensive. This semi-literate muppet, McGowan, scores on all three counts.

His other 'masterpieces' (http://clublet.com/c/c/house?page=MarkMcGowan) in many cases constitute environmental vandalism or an excuse to p1ss people off under the guise of 'raising awareness'. The fact that huge amounts of public money support this idiots stunts says so much about the state of this country today.

Let me tell you that if I had been on the receiving end of his opus magnum, 'Artist Keys Car 2005', he'd have recieved a knee between the shoulderblades about quarter of a second before he got a face full of kerbstone. Upon my inevitable arrest I would explain to the constabulary that I was simply exercising my human right to express myself artistically through the medium of violence. Then I'd reverse over him. Perhaps his current stunt would be more realistic with an orally administered a 9mil pill. :mad:

[donardboy]

I agree that we are fighting for freedom of speech and democracy but this is 100% tasteless and a waste of money. I hope this W***er gets happy slapped until he is unable to exhibit any more tasteless and offensive s***e

[donardboy]

Thank you jonny5 for the w***ers mobile number. I have sent him an appropriate text and encouraged like minded souls to do the same (probably what he wants, but what the hell I have to vent my anger in some childish way)

[Fg Off Max Stout]

Or pehaps this chap is cleverer than the rest of us for receiving a significant income for just arsing around all the time.

I am interested to know how his £4000 expenses break down. He could have bought the uniform on ebay for £20 and it can't cost much to lie on the pavement for a week, can it? So that leaves £3980 unaccounted for. Sounds to me like the Arts Council have the same 'smart procurement' people as the MoD.

[GPMG]

The guys a freaking genius. How else could you get paid for:


In an extraordinary art performance, environmentally conscious artist Mark McGowan planned to turn on a cold water tap in the House Gallery in Camberwell, London and leave it running for one year, wasting 15 million litres of water. Due to the intervention of Thames Water, he had to turn it off again.
McGowan says,
‘Basically it's an art piece for people to come and look at and enjoy aesthically, it is also a comment on a social and environment issue.' For more info and images

He gets paid for it and then some Guardian reading idiot fawns over his work and bangs on about how vibrant and ethical it is.

I'm going to try it. How about, 'Man sits on toilet and poops' that'll be £5000 please mister councillor.

I can't even start to understand how this has all managed to come about.

[movadinkampa747]

I'm going to try it. How about, 'Man sits on toilet and poops' that'll be £5000 please mister councillor.



Too late

http://www.poopreport.com/Intellectual/Content/Dan_wood/dan_wood.html

[Chalkstripe]

Although I agree with Max Stout regarding what I consider to be art, I have to say that I have a sneaking admiration for the guy.

"I’m only being paid £4,000. That’s not a lot to lie still in a street for a week.”

I'd love to be on 4 grand a week for lying about!

Seriously though this guy is a certifiable whacko - particularly enjoyed his 2 stunts (sorry works of art) where he dressed up as a traffic warden and policeman and invited the public to beat him with sticks.

And his timing with his latest work could have been much, much better timed

[jonny5]

Do you think he will dress up as a lefty liberal politician in a forces base and let us beat him with sticks!!
not sure if he would survive really, seeing as he is a spineless waste of space:mad:

[aviate1138]

Just been looking at mcgowans website and it even has his mobile phone number on it.
07944533010
For those of you that are interested, tell the t**t what you think about him!:ok:
I just spoke to Mr McGowan - he only has a part of one brain cell actually working IMHO. He thinks he is sending a message to everyone and that he will save the World with his artistic endeavours. I had to put the phone down on him as I thought he was going to burst into tears when I gave him a volley of carefully constructed invective. What a waste of a Mothers love. :) Art, wrap me in your arms and devour me......... 07944533010 is really his mobile number!
Aviate 1138