Turk, Gavin
In the triptych 'Oi!' Gavin Turk is dressed as a tramp. Bleary-eyed and in filthy clothing, he points a finger in what could be seen as an aggressive gesture, were it not for the fact that he is obviously too inebriated to be capable of any extreme action. In the same year as 'Oi!', Turk also made a life-sized waxwork version of the same tramp, 'Bum'. Both works were the result of Turk's performance as a drunkard at the private view of the now famous 'Sensation' exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1997.
The pose of the tramp in 'Oi!' mirrors Turk's sculpture of Sid Vicious shooting from the hip, which in turn echoes Andy Warhol's 1963 cowboy portrait of Elvis Presley. By layering references to seminal works of art in his own photographs, sculptures and paintings, Turk challenges and teases questions of reputation, authority and authorship in art.
Ann Jones
- Artwork Details: 3 parts, each, 242 x 197cm
- Edition:
- Material description: r-type photograph
- Credit line: © the artist/LIVE STOCK MARKET
- Theme:
- Medium: Photograph
- Accession number: ACC25/1998