Until August 31, Sotheby's is assisting with an exhibition-for-sale in Gloucestershire.
Twenty-five pieces of unique art and design by contemporary artists have been placed around the grounds of Sudeley Castle, lending the place a surreal, fairy tale atmosphere. The works on offer include pieces by Marc Quinn, Pablo Reinoso, Marcel Wanders, Studio Job and Atelier Van Lieshout.
Three pieces stand out in particular:
The 4.5m tall Wellness Skull is made from fiberglass, polyurethane, polystyrene and plywood by Atelier van Lieshout. It takes the skull - universal symbol of thought, wisdom and death - and combines it with leisure.
The imposing sculpture contains a fully-functional sauna in its top half, and a bath in its base.
Secondly, Giant Jar by Lional Scoccimaro is, as you'd expect, a very large jar. Made from aluminium, it stands 2.6m tall and includes biker imagery: flames are traced around the outside and the jar appears to be brimming over with black skulls.
 Giant Jar by Lionel Scoccimaro (Click to enlarge) |
Lastly, and perhaps most mesmerising of all, is the simply titled Pouring Jug by Studio Job. Completed only this year and the only one of the three to be one-of-a-kind (three Wellness Skulls exist and eight Giant Jars) it appears to being held by a giant invisible hand.
The highly-polished bronze jug is suspended in mid-air, seeming to pour a viscous black liquid, like molten metal but containing cuboid shapes onto its pedestal.
 Pouring Jug sculpture by Studio Job (Click to enlarge) |
Previously responsible for other whimsical transformations of industry into fantasy - a light bulb, for example, becomes a destructive force in their Wrecking Ball Lamp whilst a crane stands in for its angle poise support - Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel's work is instantly iconic and could well be collected as an investment.
Contemporary sculpture is a powerful force, as the recent sale of The Skin Speaks a Language Not Its Own (an elephant sculpture) for nearly £1m reminds us.
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