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After Artist Passes Away, The Rental Apartment He Made His Work Is Declared Protected
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After Artist Passes Away, The Rental Apartment He Made His Work Is Declared Protected

After Artist Passes Away, The Rental Apartment He Made His Work Is Declared ProtectedEnglish Man’s Home Full Of Intricate Artwork To Be Turned Into A “Micro-Museum” After His PassingA Man Turned The Apartment He Rented Into A Work Of Art, Now It’s Officially ProtectedMan’s Building Gets Protected By The British Government After His Family Discovers It Was Full Of ArtSecret Artwork Discovered In Man’s Rented Apartment Postmortem, Now Given Protected StatusMan’s Hidden Gem Of “Outsider Art” Discovered Inside Victorian Apartment After His PassingMan’s Secret Artistic Vision Brought To Public After He Passes Away, Thanks To Protected StatusFamily Of Late Artist Come Together To Buy Building Where He Kept His Work Hidden For YearsBritish Government Protects Rental Building Where Man Secretly Created Artistic Wonderland“Flamboyant” Man’s Artwork, Which Was Kept Hidden For Decades, Receives National Heritage Status In England
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Jan Williams’ uncle frequently discouraged her, along with the rest of the family, from visiting his apartment. She understood why when she finally went there shortly after his death in September 2019.

The woman was awestruck to discover that her late uncle, Ron Gittins, had turned his home into a museum, decorating every corner with intricate murals, sculptures, and even a hand-crafted concrete fireplace shaped like a roaring lion’s head.

Highlights
  • Ron Gittins turned his rented apartment into a secret museum filled with artwork.
  • Ron's artwork includes murals, sculptures, and a Minotaur's head fireplace.
  • The apartment was granted 'Grade II' listing for preservation by Britain’s national heritage body.

As Jan explained, Ron was “flamboyant” and “really outlandish.” He’d often be seen around town in a costume and enjoyed searching for things that could prove useful for his artwork, such as bags of cement.

“He was a kind of performance artist, and the flat he created was like his stage set and own private world,” she said.

Image credits: historicengland

“His behavior was quite challenging, but we still loved him and thought the world of him,” she said.

Ron moved to the Victorian apartment in Birkenhead, just outside of Liverpool in northwest England, in the mid-1980s. 

Though he lacked formal artistic training, he employed his creativity and obsession with history to depict scenes set in Ancient Egypt and Georgian England. His bathroom walls were completely painted with an undersea-blue color scheme, including different marine creatures.

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Among his unique creations was a massive Minotaur’s head, which adorned a second fireplace, along with a Roman bread oven.

His family only discovered his talent when they visited the apartment after his death in 2019

Image credits: historicengland

Ron’s family wasn’t going to let his secret museum go to waste. After the artist’s passing, his loved ones established the Wirral Arts and Culture Community Land Trust (WACCLT) with the aim of saving “Ron’s Place.”

They launched a crowdfunding campaign, applied for listed status, and managed to purchase the building last year, along with the numerous gems hidden inside.

Now, the property has been granted a “Grade II” listing by Britain’s Department for Culture, Media, and Sport on the advice of the national heritage body Historic England, CNN reports.

“Including Ron’s Place on the National Heritage List for England allows us to highlight and celebrate what is significant about this extraordinary place, and helps us to make sure that any future changes to it do not result in the loss of its significance,” a spokesperson for Historic England told the broadcast.

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Ron’s loved ones came together to buy the building, which has been granted protective status

Image credits: historicengland

The plan is to turn the property, now undergoing work to “stabilize and preserve” the artwork, into a “micro-museum.”

The apartment is the first example of outsider art being given protective status.

According to Historic England’s official site, outsider art is defined as “a creative phenomenon by artists motivated by their personal visions and often working compulsively, usually with no formal training and outside the influence of the mainstream art world.”

“He was a kind of performance artist, and the flat he created was like his stage set and his own private world,” his niece said

Image credits: historicengland

Despite his reserved attitude towards his artwork, the eccentric artist would’ve taken pride in the landmark recognition it has received, his niece says.

“Ron would be absolutely over the moon.

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“He did have some mental health issues and went through spells of being really unstable. I think it was his artwork and creativity that kept him going.”

“Glad to see the British government stepping in to protect his legacy,” a social media user commented

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Marina Urman

Marina Urman

Writer, BoredPanda staff

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Marina is a journalist at Bored Panda. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she holds a Bachelor of Social Science. In her spare time, you can find her baking, reading, or binge-watching a docuseries. Her main areas of interest are pop culture, literature, and education.

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Marina Urman

Marina Urman

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Marina is a journalist at Bored Panda. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she holds a Bachelor of Social Science. In her spare time, you can find her baking, reading, or binge-watching a docuseries. Her main areas of interest are pop culture, literature, and education.

Ugnė Lazauskaitė

Ugnė Lazauskaitė

Author, BoredPanda staff

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I am employed as a Visual Editor in the news team. I make sure you have the best pictures near the most interesting text. In general all day I am looking at all you favourite celebrities facies and I am geting payed for it!

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Ugnė Lazauskaitė

Ugnė Lazauskaitė

Author, BoredPanda staff

I am employed as a Visual Editor in the news team. I make sure you have the best pictures near the most interesting text. In general all day I am looking at all you favourite celebrities facies and I am geting payed for it!

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Manicmary
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

None of his family members ever entered his apartment? That's weird

Mrs Sunshine
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have personally seen fridge "art" that looks better than this

Gene Perry
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel sorry for the landlord ... having to deal with all this mess.

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Manicmary
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

None of his family members ever entered his apartment? That's weird

Mrs Sunshine
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have personally seen fridge "art" that looks better than this

Gene Perry
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel sorry for the landlord ... having to deal with all this mess.

Load More Comments
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