Location

Country: Singapore
City: Singapore
Place: British High Commission

A faded carrier bag from the shop Proinsular forms the subject of this lithograph by Tania Kovats. Inscribed in Spanish, its circular logo hails the ‘pleasure of buying’ and features a shark, turtle, seagull and seal. Titled after the bag’s place of issue, this work presents the throwaway item as an emblem of how humans consume the landscape. This print was produced alongside her exhibition Oceans held at the Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, in 2014. Kovats approaches the natural environment both in terms of identifiable places – sites that can be mapped, named, inhabited and scrutinised – and as matter with properties that can be subjected to external forces and potential transformations. In 2000 Kovats received a Civic Trust Award for outstanding contribution to the quality and appearance of the environment.

Born in London in 1966, Tania Kovats is an award winning artist. She exhibits internationally, publishes regularly, and her work is held in several major collections. Recent solo exhibitions include 'Oceanic' at Parafin, London (2021); 'Head to Mouth' at The Gymnasium Gallery, Berwick (2019); and 'Evaporation' at the Museum of Science & Industry, Manchester (2016). Her work is presented in many major collections and as significant permanent public commissions, including 'The Space of Reading' at the Bodleian Library in Oxford and 'TREE' at the Natural History Museum in London. Her work, 'GRAIN', is permanently installed at County Hall in Trowbridge. Kovats is currently Professor of Teaching and Research at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design; and Professor of Drawing at Bath Spa University.

Places

Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Ecuador

Subjects

landscape C21st, text-based work, shark, turtle, carrier bag

Materials & Techniques

print (as object name), cotton paper, Somerset Satin, photo lithograph

Artist

Tania Kovats (1966 - )

Title

Santa Cruz, Galápagos

Edition

Number 32 in an edition of 100

Date

2012

Medium

photo lithograph on paper

Dimensions

height: 71.0 cm; width: 44.0 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Fruitmarket Gallery, January 2020

Inscription

recto: inscribed by the artist 'T.Kovats 32/100', bottom right

Provenance

The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh UK; from whom purchased by UK Government Art Collection, 8 January 2020

GAC number

18850