Monday, September 17, 2007

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The Mills Gallery at the Boston Center for the Arts is now showing a special work of art entitled "Work No. 227: The Lights Going On and Off" by artist Martin Creed.

The title of the work is appropriate because that is just what it is:

  • The room is dark.
  • The lights are switched on (by a computer), showing the blank white walls of the room. They stay on for five seconds.
  • Then, the lights turn off. Five seconds later, they come on again.... and the cycle repeats.

This cutting edge art is just another in a line of great works by the "brilliant" Creed. Previous contributions include "Work No. 88: A sheet of A4 paper crumpled into a ball" (guess what that looks like) and "Work No. 200: Half the Air in a Given Space" (a room half-filled with balloons).

(Here's an idea: save yourself the price of the exhibit ticket by visiting your own bathroom tonight. I saw the NYC showing where the light was on for 6 seconds at a time. The artist tweaked it for Boston. It is much better.)

(I am pondering my own creations like: Work 448: clipped fingernail; Work 375: blue fuzz on stale English muffin; and Work 989: donut crumbs on carseat)

story URL: http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2007/09/13/on_and_off/

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