b. 1968, United Kingdom

Martin Creed Biography

Martin Creed's playful and deceptively simple artwork explores the distinction between art and the ordinariness of life. Creed is a conceptualist who uses elements of minimalism in his practice. His multidisciplinary practice ranges between installation, performance, sound art, sculpture, painting, and drawing.

Read More

Early Years

Creed was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire. From the age of three, he was raised in Glasgow. In 1986, the artist studied painting at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. Following his undergraduate degree, Creed became disenchanted with painting. He felt the medium restrained his artistic expression, and took a break from painting for several years.

Throughout the late 1990s, Creed began to develop an experimental practice. His work became heavily conceptual and offered simplicity. He developed engaging installations intended to draw visitors' attention to things that they might otherwise overlook.

Martin Creed Artworks

Martin Creed labels and identifies his artworks by numbers. By doing so, he gives each work equal status, irrespective of its material, shape, or size. Creed developed this distinctive approach to avoid decision-making and to explore the dilemma he faced of wanting to simultaneously make something and nothing.

The Ordinary and the Everyday

In Work No. 227: The lights going on and off (2000), Creed challenges traditional museum standards by manipulating the existing light fittings of the exhibition space. By seizing an empty room and switching the lights on for five seconds and then off for five seconds, Creed forms a new atmosphere that toys with viewers' experience and expectations. Viewers' impression of time and space is altered, and a focus on the physicality of the room comes into play.

Work No. 227: The lights going on and off (2000) is part of a wider series of work that aims to investigate the ordinary and the everyday. Creed's oeuvre praises the mundane by using materials like Blu-Tak, party balloons, and masking tape in his artwork.

Creed submitted Work No. 227: The lights going on and off for the Turner Prize at the Tate Gallery, London in 2001. He was awarded the prestigious prize and received £20,000 in prize money.

Public Commissions

Everything Is Going To Be Alright (1999) is a series of neon-light installations that is regarded as one of the artist's most important works. The neon installation displays the phrase 'Everything Is Going To Be Alright' in colourful lettering, 13 metres in length and half a metre in height.

Intended for display at a height across the façade of a building, Creed's installation functions as a tool for the artist to communicate with his audience. Creed is prompting a reaction from viewers who try to decode his statement's ambivalent meaning. The use of neon—a raw gas that cannot be seen—plays into Creed's conflicting desire to create something and nothing from his art.

The work was originally commissioned for the Clapton Portico in Hackney, London. It has since been displayed at a number of other settings around the world, in countries including Italy, America, Scotland, and New Zealand.

Awards and Accolades

In 2001, Creed was awarded the Turner Prize for his controversial work, Work No. 227: The lights going on and off (2000). In 2011, Creed participated in the Singapore Biennale and the Folkestone Triennial.

In 2012, Creed was commissioned to create Work No. 1197: All the bells in the country rung as quickly and as loudly as possible for three minutes (2012) for the London 2012 Summer Olympics.

Creed's artwork is included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, The National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh, and the Tate Gallery in London, among others.

Exhibitions

Martin Creed has exhibited his work in galleries and institutions across the world.

Select solo exhibitions include Toast, Hauser & Wirth, London (2019); ARTIST ROOMS: Martin Creed, Tate Britain, London (2018); Martin Creed, Michael Lett Gallery, Auckland (2015); Art & Sound, Fondazione Prada, Venice (2014); Martin Creed, Gavin Brown and Hauser & Wirth, New York (2014); What's the Point of it?, Hayward Gallery, London (2014); and House of Art, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic (2012).

Select group exhibitions include Stronger Than Language, Hauser & Wirth, St. Moritz (2020); Ordinary/ Extra/ Ordinary, The Public Gallery, West Bromwich (2013); Belief & Understanding, Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery, New York (2011); Silence: Listen to the show, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin (2007); Abstract Art Now: Floating Forms, Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, Ludwigshafen (2006); and Surprise, Surprise, Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), London (2006).

Website and Instagram

Martin Creed's website can be found here, and his Instagram can be found here.

Phoebe Bradford | Ocula | 2021

Martin Creed
featured artworks

View 24 More
Work No. 843 by Martin Creed contemporary artwork painting
Martin Creed Work No. 843, 2007 Emulsion on wall
Hauser & Wirth
Work No. 2520 by Martin Creed contemporary artwork painting
Martin Creed Work No. 2520, 2015 Acrylic on canvas
31.4 x 41.3 cm
Hauser & Wirth Request Price & Availability
Work No. 453 by Martin Creed contemporary artwork works on paper, drawing
Martin Creed Work No. 453, 2005 Highlight pen on paper - 5 parts
29.7 x 21 cm
Hauser & Wirth Request Price & Availability
Work No. 516 by Martin Creed contemporary artwork works on paper, drawing
Martin Creed Work No. 516, 2006 Ink on paper
29.7 x 21 cm
Hauser & Wirth Request Price & Availability
Work No. 1864 Jimmy by Martin Creed contemporary artwork works on paper, drawing
Martin Creed Work No. 1864 Jimmy, 2014 Pen and pencil on paper
21 x 29.7 cm
Michael Lett Contact Gallery
Work No. 2556 by Martin Creed contemporary artwork moving image
Martin Creed Work No. 2556, 2015 4 min 16 sec, edition of 3 + artist proof
Michael Lett Request Price & Availability
Work No. 1876 by Martin Creed contemporary artwork painting
Martin Creed Work No. 1876, 2014 Acrylic on canvas
30.5 x 25.4 cm
Michael Lett Request Price & Availability
Work No. 2577 by Martin Creed contemporary artwork painting
Martin Creed Work No. 2577, 2015 Acrylic on canvas
40.6 x 30.5 cm
Michael Lett Request Price & Availability
View 24 More

Martin Creed
recent exhibitions

View 6 More
View 6 More

Represented by these
Ocula Member Galleries

Hauser & Wirth contemporary art gallery in Hong Kong
Hauser & Wirth Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris +8
View 6 More

Martin Creed in
Ocula Magazine

Read 1 More
Read 1 More
Learn more about the market for works
by Martin Creed.
Enquire for a confidential discussion. Enquire Now
Simon Fisher, Ocula CEO
Ocula Advisor
Simon Fisher
Christoper Taylor, Ocula Advisor
Ocula Advisor
Christopher Taylor
Eva Fuchs, Ocula Advisor
Ocula Advisor
Eva Fuchs
Rory Mitchell, Ocula Advisor
Ocula Advisor
Rory Mitchell

Martin Creed in
video & audio

Ocula discover the best in contemporary art icon.
Follow Martin Creed
Stay ahead.
Receive updates on new artworks,
exhibitions and articles.
Your personal data is held in accordance with our privacy policy.
Follow
Do you have an Ocula account?
Ocula discover the best in contemporary art icon.
Get Access
Join Ocula to request price and availability of artworks, exhibition price lists and build a collection of favourite artists, galleries and artworks.
Do you have an Ocula account? Login
What best describes your interest in art?

Subscribe to our newsletter for upcoming exhibitions, available works, events and more.
By clicking Sign Up or Continue with Facebook or Google, you agree to Ocula's Terms & Conditions. Your personal data is held in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Thank you for joining us. Just one more thing...
Soon you will receive an email asking you to complete registration. If you do not receive it then you can check and edit the email address you entered.
Close
Thank you for joining us.
You can now request price and availability of artworks, exhibition price lists and build a collection of favourite artists, galleries and artworks.
Close
Welcome back to Ocula
Enter your email address and password below to login.
Reset Password
Enter your email address to receive a password reset link.
Reset Link Sent
We have sent you an email containing a link to reset your password. Simply click the link and enter your new password to complete this process.
Login