NEWS COPY
Brits don't know their art from their elbow according to new research, with one in six saying they have NEVER SET FOOT in an art gallery.
The study found millions of Brits have never been to an art gallery with half of those polled saying they haven't visited one in the last two years.
Nearly a quarter of Brits were unable to name Van Gogh as the artist who painted Sunflowers, and only a third identified Roy Lichtenstein as the artist who created Whaam! – with six per cent mistakenly attributing the artwork to George Michael.
The survey of 2,000 British adults also showed three in five Brits rate their understanding of art as poor or worse, with 44 per cent believing the art world is elitist and one in ten admitting they feel galleries are intimidating.
Gen Z appear to be scratching their heads the most, as one in seven are unable to identify Pablo Picasso as an artist and 1 in 10 naming TV personality Alistair McGowan, famous for his celebrity parodies, as an example of the art impressionist movement.
Scott Phillips, founder of Rise Art commented: “The research shows that many Brits seem to feel a disengagement with art due to the long standing perception of the art world and the more elitist ‘establishment’.
“This is such a shame as it has never been easier to access, experience and enjoy fantastic art online.
“Our aim at Rise Art is to bring great art to everybody, and make the extraordinary world of art more accessible.”
In a big bid to help mend Britain’s disconnect with art a troupe of naked ‘human canvases’ descended on the capital today.
Five living versions of some of the world’s most famous artworks including Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and Edvard Munch’s Scream were spotted outside the capital’s art hot spots, before taking a ride on the tube and making their way across Millennium Bridge.
The human canvases, created by award-winning body paint artist Sarah Attwell, were commissioned by online art platform Rise Art in a bid to bridge Britain’s disconnect with the art world and bring art directly to members of the public.
Rise Art’s human canvases took a team of five body paint artists over 12 hours to create, with the original artworks cleverly interpreted to remain recognisable while complementing the natural curves of the human body.
The application followed weeks of design development to ensure an exact representation of some of the world’s most loved and famed artworks.
Sarah Attwell, Body Paint Artist commented: “I’ve worked on a number of large scale projects but this has definitely been one of my biggest challenges.
“We’ve worked hard to ensure we do these incredible artworks justice and are so pleased with the results.
“I’ve always grown up around art, so have been thrilled to partner with Rise Art to create something bold yet accessible and show that great art really can be for everybody.”
Rise Art is an online art platform that not only allows customers to buy art at affordable prices, catering for a range of budgets, but also provides options for art rentals, meaning customers can try out artworks at home or in their office and return them easily if they find they’re not right for them.
Scott continued: “Whilst the Mona Lisa may not be available online, our team of curators are busy discovering the modern-day Leonardo da Vinci and the next Lichtenstein.
“Anyone with any budget can own a fantastic piece of original art with real investment potential, all they need to do is log on and start discovering.”
For more information and great art visit www.riseart.com
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