Martin Creed

Work No.700, 2007

This work by English artist Martin Creed (b. 1968) is composed of three progressively slimmer steel I-beams balanced on top of each other. Each 12 metres in length, the beams were created for use in bridge or building construction. By neatly stacking the beams, Creed has replaced their functionality with a focus on form and, in turn, has created a work of simple, unexpected beauty. This sculpture is the largest realised work from Creed’s ‘stack’ series, in which the sculptor applied a pyramidal compositional system to a diverse range of media, from painted lines to plant pots.