Professor
Gavin Turk
- Professor of Art and Design
- Email: g.turk@bathspa.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0)1225 875466
- School or Department: Bath School of Art
- Website:

Personal statement
- 1967 Born in Guildford
- Lives and works in London
Gavin Turk is a British born, international artist. He has pioneered many forms of contemporary British sculpture now taken for granted, including the painted bronze, the waxwork, the recycled art-historical icon and the use of rubbish in art.
Turk’s installations and sculptures deal with issues of authorship, authenticity and identity. Concerned with the ‘myth’ of the artist and the ‘authorship’ of a work, Turk’s engagement with this modernist, avant-garde debate stretches back to the ready-mades of Marcel Duchamp.
In 1991, the Royal College of Art refused Turk a degree on the basis that his final show, ‘Cave’, consisted of a whitewashed studio space containing only a blue heritage plaque commemorating his presence ‘Gavin Turk worked here 1989-91'. Instantly gaining notoriety through this installation, Turk was spotted by Charles Saatchi and has since been exhibited by many major galleries and museums throughout the world. Turk has recently been commissioned to make several public sculptures including Nail, a 12-meter sculpture at One New Change, next to St Paul’s cathedral, London, England. In 2013 Prestel published Turk’s first major monograph, showcasing more than two decades of his work.
Education
- 1989 -1991 Royal College of Art
- 1986 -1989 Chelsea School of Art
Research projects
- 55th Venice Biennale
- Seven Billion Two Hundred and One Million Nine Hundred and Sixty-Four Thousand and Two Hundred and Thirty-Eight
Research and academic outputs
Gavin Turk
book
Turk, G, Curtis, D, Collins, J and Sinclair, I (2013) Gavin Turk. Prestel, London. ISBN 9783791348346
This is not a book about Gavin Turk
book
Turk, G and Newsome, R (2011) This is not a book about Gavin Turk. Trolley Books, London. ISBN 9781907112270
Gavin Turk
book
Turk, G and Barrett, B (2004) Gavin Turk. New art up-close . Royal Jelly Factory, London. ISBN 0954636511
Gavin Turk in the house: a reader
book
Curtis, D, Turk, G and Marlow, T (2003) Gavin Turk in the house: a reader. Open House, London.
Nail: a sculpture, commissioned by Land Securities for One New Change. One New Change, London, EC4M 9AF, UK
artefact
Turk, G (2011) Nail: a sculpture, commissioned by Land Securities for One New Change. One New Change, London, EC4M 9AF, UK.
Portrait of an Egg
exhibition
Turk, G (2019) Portrait of an Egg. In: Photo London, Somerset House, London, UK, 16 - 19 May 2019.
Oi! [1998]
exhibition
Turk, G (2019) Oi! [1998]. In: In My Shoes: Art & The Self Since the 1990s, an Arts Council Collection touring exhibition, 30 March - 22 September 2019.
En Oeuf
exhibition
Turk, G (2019) En Oeuf. Maruani Mercier Gallery, Brussels, Belgium, 14 January - 14 February 2019.
White Van Man
exhibition
Turk, G (2018) White Van Man. Ivorypress, Madrid, Spain, 15 November 2018 to 19 January 2019.
Arazzo fan da te [2012]
exhibition
Turk, G (2018) Arazzo fan da te [2012]. In: Dialogues with a Collection, Laure Genillard Gallery, London, UK, 30 June - 15 September 2018.
Le bike de bois rond [2010]
exhibition
Turk, G (2018) Le bike de bois rond [2010]. In: Play: Kortrijk, Kortrijk 1302, Begijnhofpark, Kortrijk, Belgium, 23 June - 11 November 2018.
Nomad [2003]
exhibition
Turk, G (2018) Nomad [2003]. In: Il Terzo Giorno, Palazzo del Governatore, Parma, Italy, 20 April - 1 July 2018.
Works
exhibition
Turk, G (2018) Works. Maruani Mercier & Hadida, Paris, France, 23 March - 12 May 2018.
God is Gone
exhibition
Turk, G (2018) God is Gone. Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna, Austria, 16 March - 19 April 2018.
History of Art
exhibition
Turk, G (2017) History of Art. Mimmo Scognamiglio Artecontemporanea, Milan, Italy, 23 November 2017 - 10 February 2018.
Transubstantiation
exhibition
Turk, G (2017) Transubstantiation. Skip Gallery, London, UK, 16 - 23 November 2017.
Poor Art : Arte Povera [group exhibition]
exhibition
Turk, G (2017) Poor Art : Arte Povera [group exhibition]. Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art, London, UK, 20 September - 17 December 2017.
Gavin Turk's studio
exhibition
Turk, G (2017) Gavin Turk's studio. In: Inside Out, Here East, London, UK, 29 - 30 July 2017.
GAVGIUVAG/URKVIKGAV [2011]
exhibition
Turk, G (2017) GAVGIUVAG/URKVIKGAV [2011]. In: The Book of the Word, Helsinki Contemporary, Helsinki, Finland, 9 June - 2 July 2017.
Rosy Lee [2008-2013]
exhibition
Turk, G (2017) Rosy Lee [2008-2013]. In: Collection, The Metropole Hotel / Gervasuti Foundation, Venice, Italy, 10 May - 2 July 2017.
Death of Marat [1998]
exhibition
Turk, G (2017) Death of Marat [1998]. In: Proof of Life, Weserburg Museum of Modern Art, Bremen, Germany, 20 May 2017 - 25 February 2018.
Rhetorical loaf [2003]
exhibition
Turk, G (2017) Rhetorical loaf [2003]. In: Doublethink: Double Vision, Pera Museum, Istanbul, Turkey, 25 May - 6 August 2017.
Cracks in Reality: Gavin Turk / Jens Wolf
exhibition
Turk, G and Wolf, J (2017) Cracks in Reality: Gavin Turk / Jens Wolf. Marta Herford GmbH, Herford, Germany, 2 April - 2 July 2017.
Turkish Tulips [curator]
exhibition
Turk, G (2017) Turkish Tulips [curator]. Museum Van Loon, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 3 March - 28 May 2017.
Give In
exhibition
Turk, G (2017) Give In. Ben Brown Fine Arts, London, UK, 9 February - 7 April 2017.
In a Dream You Saw a Way to Survive and You Were Full of Joy [group exhibition]
exhibition
Turk, G (2017) In a Dream You Saw a Way to Survive and You Were Full of Joy [group exhibition]. De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill On Sea, UK, 28 January - 30 April 2017.
Large transit disaster (blue, copper & ochre) (2013)
exhibition
Turk, G (2017) Large transit disaster (blue, copper & ochre) (2013). In: I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper, Griffin Gallery, London, UK, 12 January – 24 February 2017.
Who What When Where How and Why
exhibition
Turk, G (2016) Who What When Where How and Why. Newport Street Gallery, London, UK, 23 November 2016 – 19 March 2017.
One twenty five (2013)
exhibition
Turk, G (2016) One twenty five (2013). In: NEON: The Charged Line, Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool, UK, 1 September 2016 - 7 January 2017.
GT
exhibition
Turk, G (2016) GT. Jablonka Maruani Mercier Gallery, Knokke, Belgium, 6 August - 15 September 2016.
The shining (2007)
exhibition
Turk, G (2016) The shining (2007). In: Daydreaming with Stanley Kubrick, Somerset House, London, UK, 6 July - 24 August 2016.
Nomad (black) (2006)
exhibition
Turk, G (2016) Nomad (black) (2006). In: In a Dream You Saw a Way to Survive and You Were Full of Joy, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, UK, 10 June - 30 October 2016.
Ajar (2011)
exhibition
Turk, G (2016) Ajar (2011). In: Sculpture in the City, Square Mile, London, UK, 1 June 2016 - 1 June 2017.
Gav (Library Bar)
exhibition
Turk, G (2016) Gav (Library Bar). Bruchium - Al Forno, Venice, Italy, 7 May - 22 November 2015.
Pop up (2000)
exhibition
Turk, G (2016) Pop up (2000). In: Punk: Its Traces in Contemporary Art, MACBA Museu d´Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, 13 May - 25 September 2016.
Nomad (2003)
exhibition
Turk, G (2016) Nomad (2003). In: Found, The Foundling Museum, London, UK, 27 May - 4 September 2016.
Yellow fright wig (2014)
exhibition
Turk, G (2016) Yellow fright wig (2014). In: The Legacy of Andy Warhol, Artipelag, Stockholm, Sweden, 14 April - 25 September 2016.
Oscar (1999)
exhibition
Turk, G (2016) Oscar (1999). In: Surrealism and Beyond, Von Bartha Collection, Basel, Switzerland, 21 April - 19 June 2016.
Pink Che (2005)
exhibition
Turk, G (2016) Pink Che (2005). In: Bread and Roses: Artists and the Class Divide, Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw, Poland, 9 February - 1 May 2016.
Petroleum
exhibition
Turk, G (2016) Petroleum. The Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, USA, 12 February - 12 March 2016.
Water biscuit (2010)
exhibition
Turk, G (2016) Water biscuit (2010). In: The Box, Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London, UK, 22 January - 13 February 2016.
Wittgenstein’s Dream
exhibition
Turk, G (2015) Wittgenstein’s Dream. Freud Museum, London, UK, 26 November 2015 - 7 February 2016.
A Vision
exhibition
Turk, G (2015) A Vision. Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna, Austria, 17 September - 31 October 2015.
Ostrich egg (2011) & Geometric surface (2014) & Rich tea biscuit (2006) & Signed egg (2011)
exhibition
Turk, G (2015) Ostrich egg (2011) & Geometric surface (2014) & Rich tea biscuit (2006) & Signed egg (2011). In: Extraordinary: Objects & Actions in Contemporary Art, The Lowry, Salford, UK, 25 July - 18 October 2015.
Brillo (V) (2003)
exhibition
Turk, G (2015) Brillo (V) (2003). In: Falling Fictions, Me Collectors Room, Berlin, Germany, 12 June - 30 August 2015.
Geometric surface (2014)
exhibition
Turk, G (2015) Geometric surface (2014). In: The Fall Of The Rebel Angels, Castello 1610/A, Venice, Italy, 9 May - 23 June 2015.
The Mechanical Turk
exhibition
Turk, G (2015) The Mechanical Turk. Metropole Hotel, Venice, Italy, 1 May - 30 June 2015.
ID (2013) & Parapraxis (2013)
exhibition
Turk, G (2015) ID (2013) & Parapraxis (2013). In: Photography Now: An International Survey, Ben Brown Gallery, London, UK, 23 April - 27 April 2015.
The swimmer (2003) & Rough sleeper (2003)
exhibition
Turk, G (2015) The swimmer (2003) & Rough sleeper (2003). In: The Wanderer’s Nightsong II, C&C Gallery, London, UK, 3 April - 10 May 2015.
Self portrait (fountain) (2012)
exhibition
Turk, G (2015) Self portrait (fountain) (2012). In: Watershed: Art, Play and the Politics of Water, Hall Place & Gardens, Bexley, UK, 28 March - 6 September 2015.
Ragut kirn & Takun girv & Trik ungav & Tug vrinak (2010)
exhibition
Turk, G (2015) Ragut kirn & Takun girv & Trik ungav & Tug vrinak (2010). In: Chercher Le Garçon, MAC VAL Musée d’Art contemporain Val-de-Marne, Paris, France, 7 March - 31 August 2015.
Rosette (2013)
exhibition
Turk, G (2015) Rosette (2013). In: Embracing Modernism: Ten Years of Drawings Acquisitions, The Morgan Library and Museum, New York, USA, 13 February - 24 May 2015.
Golden Delicious
exhibition
Turk, G (2015) Golden Delicious. Louisa Guinness Gallery, London, UK, 26 February - 2 April 2015.
Portrait of something that I’ll never really see (1997)
exhibition
Turk, G (2015) Portrait of something that I’ll never really see (1997). In: Self: Image and Identity, Turner Contemporary, Margate, UK, 24 January - 10 May 2015.
We Are One
exhibition
Turk, G (2014) We Are One. New Art Centre Park & Gallery, Roche Court, UK, 8 November 2014 - 8 February 2015.
A
exhibition
Turk, G (2014) A. Ben Brown Gallery, Hong Kong, China, 13 September - 15 November 2014.
Liqueur D'Expédition
exhibition
Turk, G (2014) Liqueur D'Expédition. Christian Larsen, Stockholm, Sweden, 21 August - 28 September 2014.
Pipe
exhibition
Turk, G (2014) Pipe. In: Futurkammer, The Holburne Museum, Bath, 7 June - 15 June 2014.
Pense Bête
exhibition
Turk, G (2014) Pense Bête. LARM Galleri, Copenhagen, Denmark, 11 April - 17 May 2014.
Smiley cup (2003)
exhibition
Turk, G (2014) Smiley cup (2003). In: Lifelike, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, USA, 5 February - 18 May 2014.
Painted bronze III (2004)
exhibition
Turk, G (2014) Painted bronze III (2004). In: Sculpture Show, Patricia Low Contemporary, St. Moriz, Switzerland, 8 February - 16 March 2014.
Identity crisis (1994)
exhibition
Turk, G (2014) Identity crisis (1994). In: Paparazzi! Photographers, Stars and Artists, Centre Pompidou Metz, France, 28 February - 9 June 2014.
Vestige
exhibition
Turk, G (2014) Vestige. Fondation Frances, Senlis, France, 7 February - 17 May 2014.
100 years
exhibition
Turk, G (2014) 100 years. In: Paper, Smac Gallery, Capetown, South Africa, 24 January - 9 March 2014.
Seven Billion Two Hundred and One Million Nine Hundred and Sixty-Four Thousand and Two Hundred and Thirty-Eight
exhibition
Turk, G (2014) Seven Billion Two Hundred and One Million Nine Hundred and Sixty-Four Thousand and Two Hundred and Thirty-Eight. The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, UK, 25 January - 21 April 2014.
Camouflage Elvis blue (2006) & Ghost pop (2012)
exhibition
Turk, G (2014) Camouflage Elvis blue (2006) & Ghost pop (2012). In: Post Pop: East Meets West, Saatchi Gallery, London, 26 November 2014 - 23 February 2015. ISBN 9780993095405
Gavin Turk: The Years
exhibition
Turk, G (2013) Gavin Turk: The Years. Ben Brown Fine Arts, London, UK, 26 April - 14 June 2013.
Britain Creates 2012: Fashion + Art Collusion
exhibition
Turk, G and Chalayan, H (2012) Britain Creates 2012: Fashion + Art Collusion. V&A Museum, London, UK, 6 July - 29 July 2012. ISBN 9781861543271
Rotor rings
exhibition
Turk, G (2012) Rotor rings. In: What Marcel Duchamp Taught Me, The Fine Art Society Contemporary, New Bond Street, London, 10 October-5 November 2014.
Something Like This
exhibition
Turk, G (2010) Something Like This. Park Ryu Sook Gallery, Seoul, 18 November - 12 December 2010.
Les bikes du bois rond
exhibition
Turk, G (2010) Les bikes du bois rond. In: Fleet: Art in the Haven Ports, Suffolk, UK, July 2010.
En face
exhibition
Turk, G (2010) En face. In: Distortion, part of the 53rd Venice Biennale, Gervasuti Foundation, Venice, Italy, 7 June - 22 November 2009. ISBN 9788496159891
Me as Him
exhibition
Turk, G (2007) Me as Him. Riflemaker, London, 3 July - 1 September 2007. ISBN 9780955372810
The Font Project
exhibition
Turk, G (2006) The Font Project. Fine Art Society, London, UK, 4 October - 2 November 2006.
Last Year in Eggenberg (The Paradise Show)
exhibition
Turk, G (2006) Last Year in Eggenberg (The Paradise Show). Landesmuseum Joanneum, Schloss Eggenberg, Graz, 22 June - 17 September 2006. ISBN 9783902095060
Copper Jubilee
exhibition
Turk, G (2002) Copper Jubilee. New Art Gallery, Walsall, UK, 28 June - 1 September 2002. ISBN 0946652643
Gavin Turk: Collected Works 1994-1998
exhibition
Turk, G (1998) Gavin Turk: Collected Works 1994-1998. South London Gallery, London, 9 September - 18 October 1998. ISBN 0952269031