209 words The Spirit of Painting: Mysteriously landing on the cupola of the Coronet Theatre during the quiet of a global pandemic, a lonely figure poses in the adlocutio stance of an Emperor in ancient Rome addressing his troops. Contra to this heroic posture, this figure portrays the artist in his studio overalls painting the sky with a paintbrush instead of sword, palette as shield. Originally designed to have a sculpture of Mercury on the roof of the theatre, now the messenger God of commerce has become a prophetic painter of our current hubris. ‘I imagined being ‘in’ the sky, I thought of an oversized paint splattered stepladder on the roof, to help a giant decorator to paint the clouds or change the earth’s light bulb (sun)’ Gavin Turk Gavin Turk uses art historical referencing as a material to question art itself. This figure takes its form from Alfred Drury’s sculpture of Sir Joshua Reynolds, a familiar iconic statue grand-standing in the courtyard of The Royal Academy. Where the Drury sculpture portrays the first president of the RA as a member of the establishment, this contemporary classic presents the artist as artisanal workman. At this time of fierce debate around public sculpture this portrait brings a new provocation to the conversation. ----------- 117 words The Spirit of Painting: On the cupola of the Coronet Theatre, this sculpture portrays the adlocutio stance. Instead of an Emperor addressing his troops, this figure portrays the artist in his studio overalls painting the sky with a paintbrush instead of sword, palette as shield. Originally designed to have a sculpture of Mercury on the roof of the theatre, now the messenger God of commerce has become a prophetic painter of our current hubris. ‘I imagined a decorator en plein air painting the clouds’ Gavin Turk This figure takes its form from Alfred Drury’s sculpture of Sir Joshua Reynolds the first president of the RA, instead this contemporary classic presents the artist as artisanal workman.

Spirit of Painting

Painted aluminium

209 words The Spirit of Painting:Mysteriously landing on the cupola of the Coronet Theatre during the quiet of a global pandemic, a lonely figure poses in the adlocutio stance of an Emperor in ancient Rome addressing his troops. Contra to this heroic posture, this figure portrays the artist in his studio overalls painting the sky with a paintbrush instead of sword, palette as shield. Originally designed to have a sculpture of Mercury on the roof of the theatre, now the messenger God of commerce has become a prophetic painter of our current hubris. ‘I imagined being ‘in’ the sky, I thought of an oversized paint splattered stepladder on the roof, to help a giant decorator to paint the clouds or change the earth’s light bulb (sun)’Gavin Turk Gavin Turk uses art historical referencing as a material to question art itself. This figure takes its form from Alfred Drury’s sculpture of Sir Joshua Reynolds, a familiar iconic statue grand-standing in the courtyard of The Royal Academy. Where the Drury sculpture portrays the first president of the RA as a member of the establishment, this contemporary classic presents the artist as artisanal workman. At this time of fierce debate around public sculpture this portrait brings a new provocation to the conversation. -----------117 wordsThe Spirit of Painting:On the cupola of the Coronet Theatre, this sculpture portrays the adlocutio stance. Instead of an Emperor addressing his troops, this figure portrays the artist in his studio overalls painting the sky with a paintbrush instead of sword, palette as shield. Originally designed to have a sculpture of Mercury on the roof of the theatre, now the messenger God of commerce has become a prophetic painter of our current hubris. ‘I imagined a decorator en plein air painting the clouds’ Gavin Turk This figure takes its form from Alfred Drury’s sculpture of Sir Joshua Reynolds the first president of the RA, instead this contemporary classic presents the artist as artisanal workman.

Identity

Masks

Self-Portrait

Faces

Public Sculpture

209 words The Spirit of Painting: Mysteriously landing on the cupola of the Coronet Theatre during the quiet of a global pandemic, a lonely figure poses in the adlocutio stance of an Emperor in ancient Rome addressing his troops. Contra to this heroic posture, this figure portrays the artist in his studio overalls painting the sky with a paintbrush instead of sword, palette as shield. Originally designed to have a sculpture of Mercury on the roof of the theatre, now the messenger God of commerce has become a prophetic painter of our current hubris.

Marat Linen

Silkscreen ink on linen

Silkscreen

William Morris

Matt Sepia print

Photographic Work

Auguste Rodin

Bromide (Ilford neutral) print

Emmanuel Radnitzky

Bromide (Ilford warm) print

Paul Cézanne

Bromide (Ilford cold tone) print

Henri Matisse

Art 300 print

Salvador Dalí

Lith print

Untitled Fright Wig Piss Painting

Silkscreen ink and metallic paint on canvas

Icons

Warhol

Piss

Waste

Ghost Pop

Sid Vicious

Outsider

Self Portrait (Fountain)

Bronze, heating element, pump, water, stones

Self Portrait (Fountain) (2012), is inspired by a 1993 Arte Povera self portrait by Alighiero Boetti positioned in the artist’s signature stance. The gun from Pop is replaced here by a hose drizzling water onto the figures bald bronze pate. The result is a self-deprecating recycled artwork of a clown-like portrait – with steam emanating from its hot head. In this iteration Turk uses pathos to question originality.

Artist

Sculpture

Punk Gunslinger Blue and Green

Diamond dust and acrylic paint on canvas

Acrylic paint and diamond dust on canvas

Celebrity

Punk Gunslinger Yellow and Orange

Rock Gunslinger Pink and Red

Elvis

Rock Gunslinger Yellow and Green

Double Blue Elvis

The artist as Elvis in blue and black on silver

Electric Elvis

The artist as Elvis in negative image with painted ground

Small Negative Elvis

The artist as Elvis in negative image with painted ground

Lips taken from Pop image in black and pink on yellow

Yellow Sneer

Punk

Lips taken from Pop image in black and pink on yellow

The artist as Elvis in triple print in black on white

Elvis Triple

The artist as Elvis in triple print in black on white

Fright Wig Screen Ripped

Silk screen in perpex box

Painting

Pop image in life size silkscreen in black on white

White Pop

Large Red Fright Wig

Silkscreen ink and diamond dust on paper

Double Pop

Multiple Negative Elvis Silver

The artist as Elvis in black diamond dust on red ground

Black Diamond Elvis

Fright Wig Black on White

Fright Wig Green on Paper

Acrylic silkscreen on paper

Eyes

Installation info: Hang directly on wall, butted together with no gap between.  Avoid direct sunlight, heat or moisture.

Pop Diptych

Installation info: Hang directly on wall, butted together with no gap between. Avoid direct sunlight, heat or moisture.