ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Sarah Lucas's 'Rose Bush' exhibition explores vulgarity and gender through toilets and boots

exhibition · 2026-04-20

In 2012, Sarah Lucas showcased 'Rose Bush' at Sadie Coles's project space, aligning with a retrospective at the Henry Moore Institute. The exhibit included 'Rose Bush' (2012), where wires formed the letters 'rose bush' emerging from a toilet, merging beauty with grime. Another work, 'Maggi' (2012), featured lightbulbs suspended over a crooked toilet, inspired by Magritte. Lucas also displayed her earlier piece 'The Old in Out' (1998). 'Jubilee' (2012) presented concrete casts of platform boots illuminated by a pinkish-red bulb, intertwining themes of abjection and triumph. A wall photograph showed Lucas's torso with holes over the nipples, critiquing sexual objectification while drawing from avant-garde influences and asserting her strength against vulgarity.

Key facts

  • Sarah Lucas's exhibition 'Rose Bush' was held in 2012
  • It was the third of four installments at Sadie Coles's project space
  • The show coincided with a retrospective at the Henry Moore Institute
  • Works included 'Rose Bush' (2012) with a toilet and cutout letters
  • 'Maggi' (2012) featured lightbulbs and a toilet referencing Magritte
  • 'Jubilee' (2012) presented concrete casts of platform boots with a lightbulb
  • An earlier work 'The Old in Out' (1998) was also displayed
  • The exhibition explored themes of gender, vulgarity, and sexual objectification

Entities

Artists

  • Sarah Lucas
  • Orson Welles
  • Randolph Hearst
  • Magritte
  • Duchamp

Institutions

  • Sadie Coles
  • Henry Moore Institute
  • ArtReview

Locations

  • Hollywood

Sources