Publication: Great new monograph accompanies Hayward's Martin Creed show

Date
6 February 2014

Last week we sang the praises of the terrific new Martin Creed show at London’s Hayward Gallery, provocatively titled What’s The Point Of It? Such a splendid exhibition requires a splendid monograph to accompany it, and Hayward Publishing have not disappointed.

From the vertical cover title to the hot pink title pages and full-bleed balloon based inside and back cover spreads, the design is bold and playful, much like the artist himself. And while the images of his work are presented without clutter or fuss, essays from the likes of music journalist Paul Morley and art historian Joachim Pissarro anchor Creed’s career in wider cultural contexts, something he himself seems to gleefully avoid when interviewed.

In the book’s foreword, director of The Hayward Ralph Rugoff writes: "At once rigorous and playful, sharply defined and deeply ambiguous, his art continually surprises and overturns our expectations. It triggers our exuberance but also probes our ambivalence; among other things, it reflects on the unease we face in making choices, the comfort we find in repetition, the desire to control, and the inevitable losses of control that colour existence.

“His work also embodies a distinctly democratic spirit, springing from a conception of art that sees it as being in, and of, the world.”

Whether you get to the exhibition before it closes on 27 April or not, this is a great addition to the bookshelf of anyone who glories in the work of such an important contemporary artist.

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Hayward Publishing: Martin Creed – What’s The Point Of It?

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Hayward Publishing: Martin Creed – What’s The Point Of It?

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Hayward Publishing: Martin Creed – What’s The Point Of It?

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Hayward Publishing: Martin Creed – What’s The Point Of It?

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Hayward Publishing: Martin Creed – What’s The Point Of It?

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Hayward Publishing: Martin Creed – What’s The Point Of It? (Special Edition)

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

Rob joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in July 2011 before becoming Editor-in-Chief and working across all editorial projects including itsnicethat.com, Printed Pages, Here and Nicer Tuesdays. Rob left It’s Nice That in June 2015.

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