Gavin Turk
Gavin Turk's art often involves his own image disguised as that of a
more famous person. He has cast himself in a series of detailed life
sized sculptures as different romantic heroes, including Sid Vicious,
Jean-Paul Marat and Pop a waxwork of Turk as Sid Vicious (in white
jacket and black trousers, pointing a gun - a work which toured
London, Berlin and New York as part of the 1997 Sensation exhibition)
appropriated the stance of Andy Warhol's painting of Elvis Presley,
thereby depicting Turk himself (like Presley) as (semiotically
speaking) a cowboy.
Ambiguity features as much as self-obsession throughout Turk's work.
What appeared to be a discarded plastic rubbish bag was in fact a
bronze sculpture of one. A large industrial skip (normally yellow,
battered and covered in rust) was painted an immaculate gloss black.
Turk turned up at the private view of the Sensation exhibition at the
solemn Royal Academy, London, dressed as a down-and-out. A set of what
appeared to be classic posters of Che Guevara in a beret, revealed
themselves on further scrutiny to be photos of Turk himself.
Gavin Turk (born 1967) is a British artist and one of the Young
British Artists (YBAs). He often uses his own image in life-size
sculptures of famous people. He was born in Guildford, near London,
and went to the Royal College of Art. However, in 1991, the tutors
refused to give him the final degree because of his show, called Cave,
which consisted of a whitewashed studio space, containing only a blue
heritage plaque (of the kind normally found on historic buildings)
commemorating his own presence as a sculptor. This bestowed some
instant notoriety on Turk, whose work has been collected by Charles
Saatchi.
Gavin Turk
"Pillow" 39 inches by 31 inches giclee print on Hanhemuhle rag 2008