Artworks2021The Rite of Spring

Tulips are classically thought of as an icon of the Netherlands, however historically they arrive from the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) in 17th Century. Gavin Turk blends associations with cultural heritage and identity, nature vs nurture. Here The Rite of Spring see’s the first fallen petal from the wilting flower of a Tulipa Gavin Turkish, a cultivar baptised by the Artist in 2017 part of a larger project Turkish Tulips. The sculpture is carefully crafted in bronze, and painted to match the markings of the flower in its demise.