Gavin Turk’s "Brillo (VII)" 2003 at first glance looks like your basic cardboard box on a clean white pedestal but to the surprise of most Turk’s box is made of painted bronze. Born in 1967 and living in London Turk's work often deal with issues of authorship, authenticity and originality.
He was denied an MA certificate from the Royal College of Art for presenting at his degree show, an English Heritage plaque bearing the inscription “Borough of Kensington Gavin Turk Sculptor Worked Here 1989-1991” in an otherwise empty studio space. He has subsequently made work, which questions the idea and integrity of a consistent artistic persona. This piece falls into a long line of works where artists cast unlikely objects to throw off the viewer’s idea of what they know to be true. The most interesting part of this type of art is to watch the reaction of people who view the piece thinking that it is simply a cardboard box and then realizing it is bronze after reading the label. This “unique” piece (an edition of one) is 41 x 30 x 39cm and was shown at the booth of Sean Kelly Gallery, New York selling for 35,000 British pounds. [Biography in part from New Art Center]
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