The Art Guys™
"Forever Yours"
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The Art Guys offer to sell themselves fails!
In what could be considered their most ambitious, outrageous project to date,
The Art Guys offered to sell themselves to the highest bidder!
Bidding began on April 1, 2007. Bidding closed on April 1, 2008.
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Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on April 1, 2007, The Art Guys offered to sell themselves – the actual cremated remains of The Art Guys – to the highest bidder. The minumum accepted bid was $1,000,000 (U.S.). This offer concluded at midnight on April 1, 2008 with no bids received for the minumum asking price.
In this unprecedented work of art, a collector could have purchased The Art Guys – not just their work – but the actual artists! For the first time, collectors could have purchased an actual artist! (or in this case, two artists.)
No decisions have been made about the future of this project.
More updates coming soon!
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Study for The Art Guys bronze urns - (left) Mike, (right) Jack
The cremated remains of The Art Guys will be stored in bronze self-portrait busts, similar to the image above.
Reproductions of The Art Guys will be exact replicas, produced by 3D laser scan technology..
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"Forever Yours" would have included the cremated ashes of The Art Guys will be housed in life-sized bronze replica busts [see above], one for each of The Art Guys. Included with the sale of this art work, was all studies, legal documents, the final drawing/contract and various artifacts. While the collector would have legally owned the cremated remains of The Art Guys, these remains would not have been made available until the death of both Art Guys (date unknown). However, all other artifacts associated with this art work, as listed in the Buyer's Agreement, would have immediately become available to the winning collector.
All bids were posted on this page so that all potential collectors may be kept informed of the bidding process. Only the amount of the bids were posted. The Art Guys began accepting bids for the cremated remains of The Art Guys at 12:01 a.m., April 1, 2007.
Bidding continued until 12:01 a.m., April 1, 2008 after which the results of the bidding was announced.
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Bidding Process
Below is a complete listing of all the bids and offers received by The Art Guys for "Forever Yours."
* On January 8, 2008, The Art Guys received a bid in the form of an art work by a Fluxus artist. The work offered in trade, entitled "The Garden of Eden for The Noses of The Art Guys," valued at $2.199 million by the artist, was declined. It was explained that only bids of money (starting at $1 million, U.S.) are accepted.
*On January
12, The Art Guys received two other bids that were frivolous. These were rejected.
*On January 19, The Art Guys received an offer from an artist to trade their ashes for those of The Art Guys. This offer was rejected.
*On January 24, The Art Guys received an offer to purchase a portion of The Art Guys remains requesting the ashes of a specific body part. This offer was rejected.
*On February 3, The Art Guys received a frivilous offer to purchase "Forever Yours" for $49.95. This offer was rejected.
*On March 18, 2008, The Art Guys received an offer from an artist to trade cremated ashes. This offer was rejected.
*On March 30, 2008, The Art Guys received an offer to purchase Forever Yours for $1. This offer was rejected.
*On March 30, 2008, The Art Guys received an offer to purchase Forever Yours for $50. This offer was rejected.
April 1, 2008 FINAL DAY OF BIDDING
• 12:41 p.m. - The Art Guys received a bid, via e-mail, from artists who offered 1,000 lbs. of dust collected from their lives in exchange for Forever Yours. This offer was rejected.
• 7:30 p.m. - no bids received
• 8:30 p.m. - no bids received
• 9:00 p.m. - no bids received
• 9:00 p.m. - no bids received
• 9:30 p.m. - no bids received
•10:00 p.m. - no bids received
•10:30 p.m. - no bids received
•11:00 p.m. - no bids received
•11:30 p.m. - no bids received
•11:45 p.m. - no bids received
•11:55 p.m. - no bids received
•11:59 p.m. - no bids received
12:00 midnight - Bidding Closed. No bids received.
For a draft of the buyer's agreement, click here.
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Articles, Press and Photos
 Artists auction ashes but their dust is bust -Lisa Gray reports on the failure of "Forever Yours" to sell.
 The People's Critic: The Dead Guys - Dolan Smith of GlassTire rates "Forever Yours" in his article of February 15, 2008.
 Kiss my ash - HOUSTON magazine compares funerals and weddings, February, 2008.
The Art Guys attempt to sell themselves- Lisa Gray believes "'Forever Yours' wraps the subjects of death, art and money in a package even more shocking than Damien Hirst's work." Find out why she thinks so by reading her article in The Houston Chronicle, January 27, 2008.
 The Art Guys answer- The Art Guys answer Jeanne Claire van Ryzin's questions about endings. Read all about it in her blog for the Austin American-Statesman, January 18, 2008.
Houston artists seek to auction their cremated remains - Jeanne Claire van Ryzin thinks "Forever Yours" takes The Art Guys' "provocative and outrageous art to a new extreme."
 Own The Art Guys (What's left of them) - The Art Guys discuss finality with Dan Goddard of the San Antonio Express News, January 16, 2008
Notsuoh: freedom with just a little supervision - Jack pitches "Forever Yours" to Kristin Finan of the Houston Chronicle. December 21, 2007
( Articles and Press are PDF files. To download Adobe Acrobat Reader, CLICK HERE .)
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