Roger Hiorns

Untitled was made by immersing thistles in a bright blue bath of copper sulfate. Over time, crystals developed on the thistles’ surface. Hiorns has used this approach throughout his career, yet its application to natural phenomena adds a particularly poetic dimension, evoking cycles of death and rebirth. The attachment of the crystal-encrusted thistles to metal rods not only provides a practical presentational framework, but also suggests nature’s complicated coexistence with humankind.

Roger Hiorns embraces unpredictability in forming his sculptural works, using perfume, fire, soap bubbles, and chemical compounds to transform humble, everyday materials into something dazzling or humorous. Here, Hiorns submerged organic matter (thistles) into copper sulfate to stimulate crystallization. The resulting cerulean-blue crystal formations hang from simple, stainless steel rods, recalling dried flowers or religious relics.