Our Picks: Ash to Art by Sharon Liu
A charcoal animation using ash salvaged from The Mackintosh Building fire at The Glasgow School of Art. The film documents the Ash to Art project which transformed the worthless by-product of the fire into 25 priceless works of art.
In 2014, The Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh building, a symbol of British art, was reduced to ash.
25 world-famous artists including Grayson Perry, David Shrigley and Sir Antony Gormley were asked to turn a piece of charcoal salvaged from the Mackintosh Building fire into art. The work was auctioned at Christie’s to fund the rebuild.
The film was commissioned by J. Walter Thompson (JWT London). ashtoart.org
Directors Notes
It felt very rewarding to work on the project alongside so many great artists. I feel honoured to be part of the project. I think it’s a brilliant idea. It’s in keeping with the art school spirit. Using actual charcoal from the fire turns a negative into a positive and directly communicates the message of the campaign.
