Though a unique cast, Marc Quinn returns to a familiar subject for the present sculpture, a 2008 bronze casting with gold leafed flowers.
For Quinn, the skeleton is a transcendent form because it is all that remains after death and decay. Some of his skeleton sculptures are represented in flames to mirror the funeral pyres in Varanasi, India, and to reflect the eastern belief of reincarnation.
Other skeletons are positioned to appear as if they are praying – an ironic joke, suggesting that the subject may have to wait forever for something greater to guide their life.
Levitating skeletons, such as the present sculpture, often suggest transcendence. Flowers and fruit may emerge from their skeleton to enhance the image of nirvana.