Bio

Marc Quinn was born 8 January 1964 and is a British contemporary visual artist whose work includes sculpture, installation and painting. Quinn explores 'what it is to be human in the world today' through subjects including the body, genetics, identity, environment and the media. His work has used materials that vary widely, from blood, bread and flowers, to marble and stainless steel.

Work

Quinn came to prominence in 1991 with his sculpture Self (1991, a cast of the artist’s head, made entirely of his blood, which is frozen and kept at sub-zero temperatures by its own refrigerated display unit. It is the purest form of self portrait being of the artist both in appearance and material but also a comment on Man’s need for infrastructure, as the sculpture is kept "alive" only by a mains electricity supply. With other works like "The Toxic Sublime","Frozen Wave","The Toxic Sublime."

My thoughts

I was drawn to Marc Quinn work Self in keeping with the fact that most of the artists have to harm themselfs for their work this is no different. One still has to go to the doctor and have a whole punched in them to have their blood drawn. Marc's concept of the self portrate in interesting because the concept of needing an electrical supply to stay alive. As the blood keeps someone alive and help carry electrical signals in your body. as for Marc's other works the have to metal and paint and the body in sculpture so it relates as electrical signals get carried in metal or the body is directly referenced.