James sent us this interesting press release and images relating to the Becks Canvas initiative, which supports up-and-coming artists.
Contemporary art is a living part of our cultural heritage. Encouraging raw ability and building a broader public appreciation of the diversity and excellence of artistic accomplishment is a vision which Beck’s has long supported.
To this end, we have championed talented artists without compromise for over 20 years. As a bold statement of commitment, Beck’s has given outstanding artistic talent a truly original canvas to work on. Our label. Collaboration over two decades reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of contemporary art; Gilbert & George, Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, Tim Head, Sam Taylor-Wood, Jake & Dino Chapman, and Tatsuo Miyajima to name but a few.
The result of these partnerships has not only been the creation of a unique library of contemporary artwork, but also providing a significant platform for emerging artists to reach a greater audience. This year we plan to take the project to a new level by literally placing contemporary artwork in the hands of the public.
2008 sees a landmark for the Beck’s art programme, with the launch of Canvas. For this very special project, we needed a very special partner. The Royal College of Art is a particular kind of ideas factory unlike any other. As the world’s only wholly postgraduate university institution of art and design, the college boasts a global reputation for artistic excellence and an unrivalled creative environment. College alumni and internationally admired artists Tracey Emin, Tim Noble and the Chapman Brothers all created Beck’s labels during the 1990s. Then, as now, Beck’s was striving to support those determined to express themselves creatively. A partnership with the College presents a great opportunity to achieve this goal.
Four young artists will be selected by a panel of judges from the Royal College of Art to showcase their art on the labels of over 27 million bottles to be distributed nationwide from August 2008. The first bottles to receive the new labels will be launched at an exclusive gallery exhibition to be held at the RCA.
In the endless state of motion that is contemporary visual art some elements remain constant, but never static. Beck’s Canvas marks an evolution of our ongoing support for emerging artists and our vision to bring inspiring and challenging artwork to a broader public.
