What is the first mark the world leaves on The Young King after origin?
If the Genesis Core established the earliest stages of existence, Spring I introduced the first visible sign of experience.
The development of the work centered on a simple, childlike flower drawn directly onto the body of The Young King. In this first Spring work, the flower rises from a grass-like stem, retaining the immediacy of an early drawing rather than the finish of a refined illustration.
This quality was essential to the making of Spring I.
The drawing was developed in wax crayon, allowing the line to remain soft, direct and vulnerable. The surface was left uncoated, preserving the material honesty of the mark as it was made rather than sealing it beneath a polished finish.
The making of Spring I was therefore not only the creation of a sculpture, but the establishment of a new visual language within The Young King Universe.
For the first time, the body of The Young King became a place where memory could appear through drawing.
The flower in Spring I is still simple.
Its form has not yet begun to change through the later seasons.
But it marks the beginning of a sequence that will continue to unfold across twelve works.
If Genesis gave The Young King a form, Spring I gave that form its first drawn memory.