Bronze and gold leaf
Dimensions: 14 x 9.5 x 2.5 cm
Edition of 30 numbered on reverse and accompanied by signed certificate
Box produced by Smith Design
Price: £4,950 (Members £4,455)
Gold Leaf (2012) is a limited edition work created as part of Rachel Whiteread’s commission Tree of Life (2012) for the Whitechapel Gallery façade, unveiled on the occasion of the London 2012 Festival.
Original plans show that the Whitechapel Gallery’s facade was meant to hold a frieze embodying its public message – to bring great art to the people of London. This plan was never realized and now, 100 years later, Whiteread has been commissioned to create a new work of art to complete the building. For Tree of Life and Gold Leaf she draws inspiration directly from the building’s decorative features; the gold leaf on iconic buildings, like St Paul’s Cathedral; and the weeds that spring up in cities.
Typically, Whiteread takes casts from existing objects, translating their historic profile into contemporary sculpture. The starting point for the frieze were the leaves from the Tree of Life which symbolised renewal through the arts: a predominant theme at the time of the Gallery’s creation and a motif that can be seen in Townsend’s other major London building façades such as the Bishopsgate Institute and Horniman Museum.
Gold Leaf is a single leaf drawn directly from Tree of Life and the newly created frieze, produced using the same materials and techniques. Each leaf is individually stamped with its edition number and is presented in a specially designed conservation box for storage or display purposes. The work is also accompanied by an artist’ signed and numbered certificate. As a Whitechapel Gallery Gift, 2012, this edition offers an opportunity to support the Whitechapel Gallery’s educational programmes as well as to commemorate the London 2012 Festival.
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