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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Tim Jonze

‘This was properly amazing work’: the artist’s life’s work found in a skip

Alan Warburton, who rescued his late neighbour's pop art drawings from a skip.
‘I couldn’t save it all’ … Alan Warburton, who rescued his late neighbour's pop art drawings from a skip. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian

For a short time last week, the entire works of artist George Westren were sat in a skip, heading for the rubbish dump. A few hours later, however, and they were going viral on social media, with people across the world marvelling at his technique and enquiring as to how they might buy some of the late artist’s work.

None of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for the actions of “nosy neighbour” Alan Warburton. Warburton had been left saddened during lockdown by the news that Westren, his shy upstairs neighbour of six years, had died alone in his flat. Last week, after hearing removal men emptying out the place, he was horrified to see hundreds of Westren’s drawings and paintings bagged up and headed for the tip.

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