Rescued Rhododendrons 3

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

'Rescued Rhododendrons' documents Simon Starling's journey in 2000 from northern Scotland to southern Spain. His journey replicated that of Swedish botanist, Claes Alestroemer in 1763, who introduced 'Rhododendron Ponticum' to Britain. Today the species, widespread in Scotland, is regarded as a weed. Starling travelled in his red Swedish estate car to return plants to their original 'home'. Documenting the event, his images are like film stills with six plants arranged and lit in the same formation at every place. The uniform arrangement symbolises their ability to adapt in different habitats, while Starling's carefully-researched project explores how objects are identified, classified and valued.

Born in Epsom in Surrey, Simon Starling studied at Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham; later completing an MA at Glasgow School of Art. He won the Turner Prize in 2005. Starling has exhibited his work around the world, including shows in New York, Berlin, Stockholm and Sydney. He was also a participant in the influential exhibitions, British Art Show 5 and Manifesta 3. Recent solo exhibitions of his work include 'Metamorphology' which toured to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and the Musée d’Art Contemporain, Montrèal (2015); and 'The Scottish Endarkenment' at Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh (2016). He has lived and worked in Berlin and Glasgow, and is currently based in Copenhagen.

Places

Subjects

car, electrical extension lead, conceptual art, rhododendron, tree, river bank, river, lamp

Materials & Techniques

aluminium, photograph (as object name), C-type photograph

Artist

Simon Starling (1967 - )

Title

Rescued Rhododendrons 3

Series Title

Rescued Rhododendrons

Date

1999

Medium

C-type print on aluminium

Acquisition

Purchased from The Modern Institute, Glasgow, July 2004

GAC number

17881/3