beyond paintings

The story so far: On Monday night Tate Britain held a summer party to celebrate 20 years of sponsorship from BP. A letter to the Guardian, signed by 171 artists (including Caryl Churchill) expresses anger that the Tate and other national cultural institutions continue to sidestep the issue of oil sponsorship. On the Today programme former Arts Council chairman Sir Christopher Frayling and Greenpeace's Charlie Kronick come close to violent agreement on the issue. In the Daily Telegraph today however the composer James MacMillan describes the views of the 171 artists as 'luddite, eco-fascist utopianism'.

pic: Guardian graphic shows oil spill bigger than both Wales and Belgium