Martin Creed

Work No. 837

previous next

About this artwork

This work is perhaps one of Creed's most controversial pieces. It is a multi-part video work, shown on four television monitors stacked to form a cube. Each screen shows a person in an entirely white environment, removing any sense of familiarity, association or comfort. Against this sterile emptiness, a single person on each screen vomits profusely and repeatedly. It is one of a number of works in which Creed depicts people vomiting, defecating or having sex. Such films force the viewer to see themselves as a human being without any veiling of basic bodily functions; functions that we all have and undeniably serve a purpose. Creed wishes to celebrate the banality of such bodily experiences and in removing any reference to personal environment we invariably bring our own associations to the images.

Updated before 2020

see media
  • artist:
    Martin Creed (born 1968) Scottish
  • title:
    Work No. 837
  • date created:
    2007
  • materials:
    Film, 35 mm, shown as video, 4 monitors, colour and sound
  • measurements:
    1 min, 53 sec
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    ARTIST ROOMS Presented by the artist jointly to National Galleries of Scotland and Tate and acquired with assistance of the ARTIST ROOMS Fund, supported by the Henry Moore Foundation 2011
  • accession number:
    AR01151
  • gallery:
  • subject:
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Tell us what you think.

Martin Creed

Martin Creed