Tracey Emin has joined with other Royal Academicians to stop the forced sale of the Wedgwood Museum’s world famous pottery collection
The 10,000-strong collection looks to be sold by administrators following the collapse of Waterford Wedgwood Potteries company. But the Royal Academicians believe that this would be a tragedy for nation. An open letter undersigned by Emin and 17 others, saw Christopher Le Brun, President of the Royal Academy of Arts, appeal to the government to step in and prevent the dissipation of the collection.
‘I wish to bring to public attention the potential forced break-up and sale of one of the great British collections – Wedgwood in Staffordshire,’ Le Brun wrote: ‘Part of my role as president of the Royal Academy is not only to defend the interests of artists and architects in this country, but to safeguard and maintain the importance of art to the welfare of the country’.
And, given that it is ‘highly unlikely’ that British galleries would have the necessary capita tobid for the pieces at auction, the unique collection would inevitably be scattered and sold abroad. ‘Once dispersed, the collection could never be put together again; it could never again serve as an example of the heights to which a combination of art and industry may rise,’ Le Brun argued.
Signatories include Tony Bevan RA, John Coombe, Eileen Cooper RA, Gus Cummins RA, Richard Deacon RA, Spencer de Grey RA, Piers Gough RA, Nigel Hall RA, Paul Huxley RA, Eva Jiricna RA, Allen Jones RA, Michael Landy RA, Alan Moses, Humphrey Ocean RA, Charles Saumarez Smith and Alison Wilding RA.
Follow ArtLyst on Twitter for breaking art news and latest exhibition reviews