Gavin Turk

Gavin Turk made a name for himself for the first time after the Royal College of Art MA Show in 1991. His controversial contribution to the exhibition was a blue heritage plaque inscribed "Gavin Turk worked here 1989-91". Gavin's minimalist and conceptual approach caught the attention of Charles Saatchi and catapulted him into the movement of the Young British Artists of the 1990s. Since his rapid success, Gavin has been a central figure in the contemporary art scene.

The Early Career of Gavin Turk

Referred to as the "Prankster" of the YBAs, Gavin collaborated with artists such as Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, and Gary Hume on daring works that would shape the course of conceptual art. Both in sculpture and in prints, Gavin's groundbreaking works give meaning and weight to the worthless while simultaneously questioning the value assigned to art. Works like Yes attracted much attention due to Gavin's fearless confrontation with the art world. Gavin distributed his Yes stickers to visitors of the Frieze Art Fair and played with elements of performance and free art to question what can be considered art.

Current Projects

Recently, Gavin has turned to environmental themes in his work, focusing primarily on society's relationship with waste. Just last year, Gavin had an exhibition titled "Letting Go," which addressed the climate crisis and was heavily influenced by Gavin's own involvement in the Extinction Rebellion movement. His series of screen prints, watercolors, and painted bronze sculptures, which still deal with the effects of consumption and mass production, characteristically challenge the viewer to reflect on their own behavior and relationship with our environment.

Read more in our article about the artist on how Gavin Turk gives permanence to the impermanent and worth to the worthless.