Jamie McCartney Press Release 12/11/07

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News Release 12th November 2007

Brighton artists raise over £6000 for charity

Macmillan Cancer Auction also with Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin raises £90,000

Brighton artists Julie-Anne Gilburt and Jamie McCartney raised a total of £6370 for Macmillan Cancer Support at the auction on Thursday night. Julie-Anne is the owner of the trend-setting JAG studio gallery on Madeira Drive. International award winning sculptor Jamie McCartney has set up a new studio upstairs at the JAG. Together they were invited to donate works to the prestigious art event, which took place on Nov 8th at the Arts Club in Mayfair, London. Sponsored by De’Longhi, the Macmillan De’Longhi Coffee Art Auction raised just under £90,000 for the cancer charity.

The list of contributing artists read like a Who’s Who of the contemporary art world with Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Sir Peter Blake's works being auctioned along with Jamie and Julie-Anne’s, Brighton’s very own rising stars.

Jamie donated a sculpture he had created especially for the auction. In keeping with the De’Longhi coffee theme, Wake Up (and smell the coffee) is a cast of a reclining woman’s naked body made out of coffee beans and resin. The sculpture achieved £3500, which was £1000 more than its estimate. Jamie was also the winning bidder on a piece at the auction. He bought a sculpture by rising star Tatsuya Kimata, raising a further £350 for Macmillan.

Julie-Anne donated two works to the auction. Storm in a Coffee Cup, a turbulent seascape in browns and creams raised £1900, which was £700 over the estimate. Sorry Gordon, the painting of hers, which Gordon Ramsey famously threw into the sea in his recent makeover of Loves restaurant on Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares was entered into the silent auction. Taking place after the live auction, this piece raised another £620.

Charity contributions are a feature of both Julie-Anne and Jamie’s art practice. Last year Julie-Anne raised thousands of pounds for local charity Whoopsadaisy with her Stars on Canvas auction. This involved celebrities painting or drawing on a 20x20cm canvas, some of which she also augmented in her unique style. Many stars have also painted at the JAG including Phil Tuffnel, Chris Ellison, Patsy Palmer and Carol Cleveland. Their help with the charity is greatly appreciated by all.

2008 will see the same theme used to even greater effect for the London based Willow Foundation. Founded by footballer Bob Wilson, the Willow Foundation organises special days for seriously ill young adults. Julie-Anne has had canvases contributed by over a hundred household names. Any celebrities wishing to get involved may contact Julie-Anne at the gallery.

Jamie will also raise money for the Willow Foundation in a celebrity auction in 2009. Jamie’s auction will be a unique collaboration between celebrity and artist. He is making casts from parts of celebs, which are indicative of their fame. Boxer Michael Watson, came to the studio to have his famous right fist cast and Phil Tufnell was cast holding a cricket ball in his spinning grip. Monty Python actress Carol Cleveland (dubbed Carol Cleavage by the Pythons) donated her assets to the cause and Dora Bryan was cast hand in hand with her cricketer husband of sixty years, Bill Lawton.