Costly vision

From the archive, first published Friday 28th Jan 2005.

An Oxford artist says his astronomical painting is worth an astronomical price -- £3m, to be precise

Mark Bridger painted The Eternal and Infinite Universe last summer and is selling it to raise money for two city organisations.

The painting was on display at John Bunyan Baptist Church, in Crowell Road, Cowley, but last weekend the Oxford Youth Dance Company and Tac-au-Tac Dance Theatre borrowed the painting to use as a backdrop for a fundraising performance.

Mr Bridger, of Shotover Hill, Oxford, said: "At the end of the performance they said they were raising money for the Pegasus Theatre and I said I will put my painting up for sale for £3m."

He pledged to donate £1m to the Pegasus appeal and a further £1m to the Ark-T centre and church if the painting sells. The 45-year-old said the 6.5m by 7.5m painting represented important things he thought about the universe.

"It's a serious and original theory about the universe," he said. "I have sold some of my work before, but when it comes to astronomical things they either don't sell or you must put an astronomical price on it."

The Pegasus Theatre, in Magdalen Road, will find out in the spring if its final bid for £2.7m of Arts Council funding has been successful.

Once the money has been secured, the theatre will have to raise a similar amount before it can complete a refurbishment project at the run down 1970s east Oxford building.

Anyone interested in buying the painting should call the Ark-T Centre on 01865 396778.