SUNDAY TELEGRAPH(LONDON)
July 18, 2004, Sunday
SECTION: News Pg. 09
LENGTH: 688 words
HEADLINE: New art rises from wreckage of warehouse Uri Geller's protege repackages scraps from Momart fire - and values work at pounds 100,000
BYLINE: BY CHARLOTTE EDWARDES
BODY:
A "MEMORIAL" work of art has been created from the remains of pounds 10 million worth of British art - including pieces by Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst - destroyed in a fire two months ago.
The artist, Stuart Semple, 23, said that Burn Baby Burn was a tribute to those whose work was destroyed at the Momart warehouse in Leyton, east London.
Last night, however, his effort was attacked by critics as a "miserable attempt to cash in on a disaster".
...
Mr Semple insisted that the remains, including the tent fragment, were genuine. "You can tell by the colour and the texture: it's the same fabric," he said. "The likelihood of finding a piece like that within five metres of where the tent was stored means it is most probably the tent."
The project was the result of a collaboration with Uri Geller, the magician and presenter, who had "discovered" Semple after his graduation from Bretton Hall Art School, a part of Leeds University.
Mr Semple said that his work was worth "between pounds 50,000 and pounds 100,000" but he and Mr Geller rejected claims that they were trying to profit from the Momart fire.
"We want to give the work back to the nation," Mr Geller said. "If the director of the Tate will accept it, well, that would be great."
...
...)