Martin Creed
Work No. 669: FRIENDS
Work No. 669: FRIENDS
Viewing location: London
2007
Neon
Flashing 7 seconds on, 7 seconds off
Ed. 3/3 + 1AP
15 x 92 cm / 5 7/8 x 36 1/4 in
British artist Martin Creed has become known for an incredibly varied body of work, which is by turns uncompromising, entertaining, shocking, and beautiful. Awarded the Turner Prize in 2001 for ‘Work No. 227: The lights going on and off’ (2000), Creed is celebrated for continuously devising new ways to upend familiar consistencies in life to elicit feeling from the viewer. To this end, he employs a multitude of forms, including sculpture, painting, film, installation, music, and performance.
Neon is a consistent medium in Creed’s practice, first appearing in 1999 with an installation at Alberto Peola Arte Contemporanea in Turin, Italy, which immortalized the phrase ‘EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT’ in red neon. Since then, Creed’s neon works have been exhibited internationally across renowned institutions and buildings, including the façade of the Tate Britain in London, National Galleries of Scotland, MOCA Detroit, and Christchurch Art Gallery, New Zealand.
Among the words and phrases that have been utilized by the artist, ‘Work No. 669: FRIENDS’ (2007) elicits a positive reaction at first glance. The white neon is illuminated for seven seconds, followed by seven seconds of darkness, a playful provocation for viewers questioning the presence or absence of friends.
About the artist
‘Creed is a social artist; the true magic of his work lies in the way it interacts with people and places.’ [1]
[1] Jones, Jonathan, ‘Martin Creed’s stairway to heaven,’ in theguardian.co.uk, London, UK, 1 August 2011, ill. (on Work No. 1059)
Portrait of Martin Creed © Martin Creed. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2022. Photo: Hugo Glendinning
All artwork images © Martin Creed. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2022
Martin Creed, Work No. 205: EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT, 1999. Installation at Alberto Peola Arte Contemporanea, Turin, Italy © Martin Creed. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2022. Photo: Martin Creed Studio