The highly respected American conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner is known across the world for his text-based works on buildings and walls, which he views as sculptures.
He is self-taught and has been making work since the early 1960s. 'At a Distance to the Foreground', a work that has been presented in various locations and graphic formations since its creation in 1999, has been selected by South London Gallery (SLG) as the first permanent work by Weiner to join a public collection in the UK capital.
The meaning of the text is open to interpretation, but it has certainly acquired a new resonance since the introduction of social distancing during the global pandemic. This particular version of the work is installed on the side of SLG's fire-station building, where it is visible to both gallery visitors and also passers-by on the busy Peckham Road.
More information
Title of artwork, date
AT A DISTANCE TO THE FOREGROUND, 1999
Date supported
2020
Medium and material
The acquisition is of the intellectual property to these words by Lawrence Weiner, evidenced in a certificate. The work can be installed in a variety of media and contexts, subject to the artist's permission. Please see Qu 4 for further context.
Grant
38160
Total cost
76320
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