K Foundation Burn A Million Quid - Burning As A Theme

Burning As A Theme

Ritualistic burnings were already a recurring aspect of Drummond and Cauty's work. In 1987, the duo disposed of copies of their copyright-breaching debut album—The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu's 1987 (What the Fuck Is Going On?)—by burning them in a Swedish field. This event was pictured on the back sleeve of their second album, Who Killed The JAMs?, and celebrated in the song "Burn the Bastards". During the 1991 summer solstice, they burnt a 60 feet (18 m) wicker man. This was chronicled in The KLF movie, The Rites of Mu.

As the K Foundation, Drummond and Cauty threatened to burn the K Foundation art award prize money (Gimpo was fumbling with matches and lighter fluid when, at the last moment, Rachel Whiteread accepted the prize). In the seventh K Foundation press advert they asked "What would you do with a million pounds? Burn it?"