Sub Divider 2014 Oak, mahogany, acrylic, varnish, wood stain, copper, ceramic, and metal fixings 48 x 39 x 16 cm
On the evening of Saturday (25th October) FOLD Gallery London, a young commercial gallery in Clerkenwell, was the victim of what appears to be a ‘steal to order’ theft of four sculptures by popular young artist Tim Ellis.
Initially the gallery thought the break in was a spontaneous burglary, committed by opportunistic thieves, looking for laptops and office equipment. As no computer hardware is left in the gallery overnight, and the desk is visible from the street, suspicions were raised that the theft was art-related.
Resonator 2014 Ceramic, plaster, oak, pine, acrylic, varnish, and wood stain 63 x 32 x 22 cm
Gallery director, Kim Savage, states,
“upon further inspection it appears the gallery was broken into for the sole purpose of obtaining certain sculptures on display from the Tim Ellis solo show. Four of the eleven sculptures were selected, each with a bold and common aesthetic. What convinced us this was a ‘steal to order theft’ was that none of the paintings, which hang like banners and would be easily transported, were touched. The gallery was left in good order and there was no damage to the remaining artwork. The thieves went to significant effort to gain access to the gallery, entering through a side door hidden from the street and using heavy equipment to prise and destroy the magnetic, code-operated lock.”
Tim Ellis – whose work has been acquired by some major collectors, including Charles Saatchi – has had a lot of high profile exposure recently. He is featured in a major publication on emerging talent by Thames and Hudson titled ‘100 Painters of Tomorrow’ and has been shortlisted for the MAC International (Belfast) art prize (the winner is coincidentally announced today, 30th October).
Mr. Savage states,
“the sale value of the work taken comes close to £20,000, however the sculptures are displayed unsigned. This is a deliberate security decision, so as it stands they have no re-sale value. The gallery is very keen to retrieve the stolen works and is offering a substantial reward for any information that would lead to the recovery of the sculptures.”
www.foldgallery.com/artist/tim-ellis/
