What's the point of it? Crossing all artistic media and including music, his art transforms everyday materials and actions into surprising meditations on existence and the invisible structures that shape our lives. This exhibition is the first major survey of Creed's work, spanning its most minimal moments and extravagant room-sized installations.
British artist Martin Creed (b.1968) is best known for his Turner
-
prize winning installation
The Lights
Going On and Off
(2000), and more recently, for his UK wide
piec
e
All the Bells in a Country Rung as
Quickly and Loudly as Possible for Three Minutes
,
which launched the London 2012 Festival. Since the
beginning of his career, when he started sequentially numbering his works, Creed has developed a
minimalistic approach
that strips away the unnecessary, but manages to preserve an abundance of wit,
humour and surprise.
Work No.
319
(2004), a room half
-
filled with balloons, is a joyous and chaotic
social experience. In other works,
a
piano lid
or
door open
s
and shut
s
automatically; 39 metronomes
simultaneously tick at different speeds; giant paintings fill entire walls; and everyday objects are
collected into sequences and series. For the first time in the UK, the exhibition will present some of
Creed’s earliest works
and also the pivotal
Work No. 1000
(2009
-
10), a monumental colour series
comprised of 1000 prints made with broccoli. The artist’s portrait painting
s
as well as a number of new
sculptural commissions will be among his most recent works to be featured in t
he exhibition that will
occupy both floors of the Hayward Gallery as well as its outdoor terraces.
Cliff Lauson, Hayward Gallery
C
urator, said:
“Martin Creed has been recognised around the world for his art that is both playful and thought
-
provoking.
Cros
sing all artistic media and including musical and performative elements, his works
transform common materials and actions into surprising meditations on existence, choice, and the
invisible structures that shape our everyday experiences. We are very excite
d to be
the
first gallery to
take a comprehensive look at the past 25 years of his work.”
To coincide with his retrospective at the Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre has commissioned Martin
Creed to create a new work
for
the Royal Festival Hall organ as
part of the
Pull Out All of The Stops
Festival
which
celebrates the complete restoration and reinstallation of the organ. Key performances
during
Martin Creed’s retrospective at Hayward Gallery will
be
the
premiere
of his new organ
commission
, entitled
Fac
e to Face with Bach
on 30 March and the performance of Creed’s band and
ballet
Work No. 1020
on 8 April.
For press information contact Oliver Krug tel 07852 842912 or
oliver.krug@southbankcentre.co.uk
Hayward Gallery
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX
Hours:
Monday 12noon – 6pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 10am – 6pm
Thursday and Friday 10am – 8pm
Ticket Prices:
Full Price: £11
Seniors 60+: £10
Concessions: £9
Students: £9
Young people 12 – 18: £7.50
Under 12s (out of school hours): Free
Southbank Centre Members: Free