Sink
Graham Dolphin
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Sink (2011) Wood, metal, plaster, glue, ink, spray paint, marker pen, biro, tippex, wax, flowers, dirt, 90 x 160 x 70 cm
Sink is a recreation of a hospital laundry sink found in the village of Vallegrande, Bolivia. This lowly piece of domestic furniture has been imbued with an emotional and cultural charge since it was used to display the body of Argentine revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara to the worlds press in 1967. Now a site of pilgrimage for fans the sink is in a constant state of flux with fans leaving tributes drawn into and onto the sink's surface. Dolphin has painstakingly recreated every aspect of the original sink, complete with fan graffiti. Placed within the austere confines of the gallery we are left with a stark, sculptural object that has echoes of early minimalist structures but with a dirty, scrawled over and scratched surface. Removed from its highly charged context Sink hangs in a state of faithful, respectful memorial, full of pathos and emotion and that of a knowing blank art object.
