Marc Quinn

Spiral of the Galaxy is part of Quinn’s recent The Archaeology of Art series, in which sculptures take the form of one of nature’s most enduringly fascinating phenomena – the exquisitely complex shapes of seashells. Quinn says: ‘To me, looking at these natural forms is like looking at the archaeology of art. Even though these creatures have no self-awareness, they create what we see as amazingly beautiful things, which is what makes the collaboration so interesting. I feel like I'm working alongside a creature from the beginning of time, and the beginning of art, and that therefore, somehow, these shells are about time travel. To me they are actually sculptures of the space-time continuum. By that I mean you have the rings on the outside of the shell, which look and act like the rings of a tree - showing the past of the object - and at the same time, the rings are to me like a map of the turning of the world. Then, on the front surface, you have the highly polished, reflective part, which is of course always in the present moment. This surface is always reflecting the now, and so together the form of the shell is like a found structural diagram of how the present becomes the past’. To create these remarkable works, including Spiral of the Galaxy, Quinn has embraced three-dimensional printing technology. Naturally formed shells are selected and then digitally mapped and printed to create an exact scale replica from which the final bronze is then cast. This method of production mirrors the organic process that crustaceans and other marine life draw from their DNA code to produce their extraordinary carapaces and shelters. Another cast of the present work is currently on view in a large scale presentation of the artist's works at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice during this year's Venice Biennale.