Lite

In 2009, Turk made a series of trompe l’oeil sculptures depicting degenerate everyday objects, such as a brick, discarded takeaway container, or a broken paving stone; the unnoticed debris of back alley Britain, each with their own associations to yob culture. Cast in bronze, they were painted so realistically they were indistinguishable from the real items. Included in this series was a discarded match. ‘Gotta lite’ might be a phrase to ask for a way of lighting a cigarette or pipe. Lite was made in conjunction with this series: a match, endlessly igniting with the commercial flickering of advertising. A light that both poses as Magritte’s pipe whilst simultaneously offering to lite it.

(formerly titled Neon Match)