Stephen Turner - Everything from the Egg

Stephen Turner's new book is a fully illustrated meditation on the life and times of his Exbury Egg on its journey around England between 2012 and 2022. Its diary format reflects on the interconnection of life in an age of spiritual, cultural and environmental anxiety, drawing on the artist's encounters during a year-long residence in the Egg on the Beaulieu River hosted by the Exbury Estate (2013-2014), followed by a tour. This included further residencies in Burnley for Super Slow Way, Trinity Buoy Wharf in London, the Grand Union Canal in Milton Keynes, Gunwharf Quays and ASPEX in Portsmouth and a seafront location next to Hastings Contemporary, with associated exhibitions at each venue (2016-2017). The book also embraces the artist's time on the island of Giudecca creating egg related work for an exhibition at the Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa during La Biennale di Venezia in 2019 and a final appearance of the Egg on Southmere Lake in Thamesmead, London for Bow Arts (2020-2022). There are personal insights into the Egg's inception when he collaborated with the architects PAD studio, boatbuilder Paul Baker and EDP Civil Engineering in the original project for an off-grid residency for artists in the New Forest conceived and led by SPUD (a charity creating opportunities for artists across architecture, urban design and the environment.) The book includes an introduction by Caroline Collier and an afterword by Sue Clifford, co-founder of the arts and environmental charity Common Ground.