Jade Elephant

The Great Pretender (sunday Times)

The great pretender

How can a struggling artist meet the big buyers? Russell Thoburn tells KATE SPICER how he blagged his way in.

For the artist Russell Thoburn, it was not enough just to be at the private view. He wanted an invitation to the all important after party, those exclusive little drinks, dinners and hikes to the Groucho club to which only the really important players in the art world are invited -he wanted the art equivalent of an “access all areas” backstage pass.

After the private view for Damien Hirst’s In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida show at Tate Britain in 2004, he rang Hirst’s press people and asked what was happening next. Nothing, they replied. Thoburn knew better. When he saw the hot gallerist Maureen Paley leaving with the photographer Wolfgang Tillmans, he followed that cab. Even though he lost sight of their taxi, they were so near the art world dining room, St. John, he assumed – correctly – that this was their destination. Saying he was “with Damien”, he went through and sat down as if he belonged.

“It was less than fifty people, but everyone was there. It was like watching telly. They were all faces or big collectors. I felt a bit nervous. At one point, a well known gallerist looked over, and we had one of those five second looks, but she didn’t say anything. Imagine the embarrassment had someone approached me only to discover Damien had indeed invited me. There’s always an air of ambiguity.”

Over the past three years, Thoburn, 36, has become an expert in penetrating the art world’s more exclusive get-togethers. He has enjoyed “sublime” bottles of wine at the Groucho and brushed shoulders with Jude Law. Yet this unassuming figure, wearing tidy jeans with jumper and jacket, is not some party animal desperate to get close to the A list. All Thoburn wanted was to gain access to the few power players who decide an artist’s fate. “My frustration was that I knew my art and my ideas were good, but I didn’t know the right people he laughs.” “ Or I hadn’t slept with the right person.”

“The thing about the art world,” he says “is that it is a game, and people use different strategies. How, as Russell Thoburn, was I going to get tickets to something like the Frieze Art Fair private view? Not even exhibiting artists are invited to that. I thought ‘who is trendy, or popular, with links to the art world?’ I came up with Alex James of Blur. He studied at Goldsmiths and was definitely around that lot. I set up an email address in his name and, before long, Frieze had sent me a VIP pack.

“The parties are significant: very, exceedingly. That’s where it all happens. At private views, everyone is networking. I didn’t feel guilty. Once in, I was Russell Thoburn.”

Thoburn accepts that he comes from outside the sphere of influence. “The way to succeed is to be an artist’s assistant, like the Chapman brothers were to Gilbert and George,” he says. “It helps to have the Royal College of Art’s stamp of approval, which works like an old boys network of sorts. The era when I came down to London was very Goldsmiths driven. But my tutors didn’t have the connections. Saatchi never bought anything from Sir John Cass, my college – it was totally off radar, even though it was across the road from the Whitechapel Art Gallery. And I wasn’t going to tiptoe round and get an internship at the Tate so that I might eventually meet the right people. All I want is to make a living. I feel like I am being wronged, because my art doesn’t get the attention it deserves.” “Bu I’m not the first nor the last artist to be overlooked.”

To gain access, he was not just “Alex James. “Gary Hume” urged the galelrist Victoria Miro to check out Russell Thoburn; “Damien Hirst” suggested Saatchi visit his studio; “Jay Jopling” recommended he exhibit at a gallery space (he subsequently got a show and sold £3000 of work, the only financial gain so far). To date, he does not have a gallery representing him.

A few months ago, he thought, “I could do some art of the back of this,”- work that can be seen in his show A Fake’s Progress, a name chosen when he discovered it would coincide with the Hogarth exhibition at Tate Britain. “Like me, Hogarth satirises the politeness of the middle class world,” he says. In a circle, (after Hogarth’s Tavern Scene) has hundreds of Bryant & May matches, ordinary ones with brown heads, standing outside a circle of colourful matchboxes from Sketch, St. John, the Groucho, The Hospital, Momo and all the art world haunts he infiltrated. Inside are colourful matches, with heads of every colour. “The brown matches represent the masses at art, fashion and photography events. If you are one of those artists on the edge, a brown match, how do you get a deal with a gallery?”

He says he does not criticise the art world, he merely- “like Warhol,”- holds a mirror up to it, something he ahs done throughout his career. An earlier show in a small basement gallery next to Saatchi’s old St. John’s Wood space revolved around Saatchi’s power and influence. A Saatchi employee asked him “politely” to close it down. “They are so big- why are they even bothered?” He calls his blagging “social sculpting;” others may call it gate crashing.

Alex James calls it identity theft. “He’s looting the most valuable thing everyone’s got, which is their identity- although I suppose the justice in what he’s done depends on whether what he sis doing is any good or not. Impostors soon go away. Imitation is a part of the creative process. Everyone starts from that point. Bands impersonate other bands. You could say Holbein used the people he painted to make him famous.” James also doubts whether Thoburn had much success in penetrating the circle of colourful matchsticks. “He might have got in, but it is so close knit.”

Thoburn says it’s all about establishing your brand: Chris Ofili with his elephant Dung, Damien Hirst’s dead animals and spot paintings. Mine is the blagging thing. Collectors tend to be straight people; they feed off the colour of the person as much as the art. Grayson Perry, sexually, is coming from a position that is appealing to the art world, where you need to be an outsider to be an insider.” But his beef is not with the artists. “I love the art world,” he says with genuine passion, “because it embraces everything. Artists are great people. Sarah Lucas and Damien Hirst are from Similar working class backgrounds to mine. We all struggle to adapt. But this is about the money and politics, not art. It’s like the 1980’s all over again- the people who buy art nowadays would normally just buy property.”

He shows me an invitation for “Alex” and his wife to join Gilbert & George for a dinner to celebrate their Tate show: “That’ll be my last party.” His project is over, his secret is out; whether his antics have helped his career remain to be seen.

About the Author

Kate Spicer is a London based journalist.

Can animals love?

Okay, so I’m in the 11th grade at my highschool and today I had a debate with my chemistry teacher whether or not animals have the ability to love. He says that movies and other types of media give a jaded point of view that animals are humans with fur. He says that my dog doesn’t love me, but is only excited to see me and shows effection because I feed her, let her outside, and pet her. I gave an example how that when i went on vacation for a month and came back home, that my dog seemed angry at me and would not come near me. He said this is because animals have bad memories and she could not remember me. I think this is total B***shit, but that’s just my opinion. I deffinatly think animals can love! Elephants cry when they’re sad and all other sorts of species have been known to defend their owners. Am I being nieve? Is there actually scientific proof that animals can’t love? Please give your opinion.

Animals brains have the same pathways as human brains suggesting that they do have the ability to have the same emotions as humans do but whether they “feel” them in the same way as we do is the age old debate. Animals do not have the part of the brain that allows them to have theory of mind (or that is what we are aware of at the moment but this might change when more research is done, some research has suggested elephants and monkeys have theory of mind) suggesting that they can feel hunger, thirst, fear, anxiety, happiness but not secondary emotions such as jealousy, love, resentment, vindictiveness, guilt etc
Although it is very easy for owners to both underestimate and overestimate their pets cognitive abilities!

Jade Elephant Bonus Slot Win at Parx Casino at Philly Park

Genuine white jade bracelet earring elephant pendant sets $0.10

Lovely Elephant White Jade Pendant $4.99

H0001380 Gorgeous carved Lemon Jade elephant pendant bead $2.99

Pretty yellow Jade Gemstone Elephant Pendant $7.99

Purple Elephant Jade SSilver Dangle Fishhook Earrings $25.00

A Pair of Hand Carved Jade Elephant $19.99

37X24X15MM YELLOW JADE GEMSTONE CARVED ELEPHANT COLLECTIBLE $2.99

Clear Crystal Rhinestone Green Jade Gemstone GEM Elephant Animal Pendant Charm $3.99

AWESOME 116.00ct GENUINE WHITE GREEN JADE BUDDHA ELEPHANT CARVING PENDANT $18.73

Natural Green Jade 14KGP Elephant Pendant & Necklace $0.01

4Pcs Natural Green Jade Elephant Pendant Necklace $0.10

Seated Elephant Black Green Jade Pendant $4.99

YELLOW JADE PEARL ELEPHANT SILVER EARRINGS NECKLACE $0.10

Beautiful Green Jade Elephant Pendant Necklace $0.11

14k Yellow Gold GREEN JADE & AMETHYST ELEPHANT HINGED PENDANT ENHANCER $129.99

Swirled Jade Green Milk Glass Jumbo Elephant Salt & Pepper Shaker Set $19.00 Salt and pepper shakers cast in green milk glass. This set is 3 and three quarter inches tall. The tops are metal and the set is unique with the elephant logo on the side….

NOVICA Ceramic teapot, ‘Buddha and the Jade Elephant’ In Southeast Asia it is said that when Buddha’s mother was about to give birth she dreamt a white elephant came to her offering a lotus symbol of purity and knowledge. When Buddha is depicted riding an elephant it is believed it will bring good luck and health. Putu Oka Mahendra transforms legend into a mesmerizing ceramic teapot featuring a rattan handle….

‘Buddha and the Jade Elephant’ Teapot $44.99 145100 Features: -Teapot.-Hand crafted artisan quality. Construction: -Ceramic and rattan construction. Color/Finish: -Color may vary slightly….

Bonsai Boy’s Baby Jade Bonsai Tree – Medium Portulacaria Afra $47.90 This succulent bonsai, also known as the “Elephant Bush”, is native to South Africa and has pale green leaves that are almost round and about one-third the size of the common Jade plant. The fleshy trunk, branches, and leaves are used to store water. An excellent bonsai tree for the home or office….

Russ Berrie Yomiko Elephant 7.5 $3.00 This beanbag is made with new PVC pellets that are placed in an inner bag to prevent any leakage if a seem was torn apart or split Each piece is x-rayed to ensure no foreign or sharp objects are inside Baby safe Surface washable Meets or exceeds all safety regulations, world wide…

Bratz Lil’ Angelz ~ Jade with Elephant and Hamster …

bObles: Tumbling Elephant (Jade) $169.00 Made in Denmark, these tumbling toys started from geometric forms. A perfect choice for inspiring imagination & physical development. Kids love to play pretend with animal friends to roll, stack, balance, jump, seesaw . all the while developing fluidity of motion, balance, posture, muscle strength, coordination, balance, refining large motor skills & encouraging neurodevelopment….

White Elephant Passport Cover $12.00 Our passport covers are a discreet solution for your passport with added RFID protection. The collage artwork is encased in our quality custom vinyl covers and measures 3 7/8″ by 5 1/4″ closed. We used painted brass findings,silk screened papers and specialty papers to create this design….

Fashion Jewelry ~ Jade Elephant Pendant $32.95 The lovely jade elephant pendant can bring you good luck, fame and success. The dimension of it is approx. 1″ x 1″ x 3/16″….

Fashion Jewelry ~ Green Jade Elephant Tusk Pendant Necklace $29.95 Jade elephant tusk necklace can ward off the bad spirits and has the power to protect you from hurting. Wearing jade elephant tusk necklace will give you full protection. The green jade elephant tusk necklace has adjustable string and made out of Chinese jade. The dimension of the jade elephant tusk pendant itself is approx. 1 5/8″ in length….