Modern Painters

Installation viewsof Work No. 227,The lights going onand off, 2000,at the Museum ofModern Art,New York, 2007.OPPOSITE:Work No. 610,Sick Film, 2006,3 3 m m fi l m , 21 m i n.``````start going on and off. But also, it’s a fuckingboring world, so wanting to make work likea child feels like a very good idea to me. Likea child before he’s been dumbed down by adults.In my experience, it’s children who like thework. It tends to be adults who don’t like it.``````Your largest public work to date is ared neon sculpture that forms the word“understanding” in Brooklyn BridgePark. Why did you choose that word?I think of it very much as antiwar. I wasinitially thinking of doing “peace, love, andunderstanding” in three parts, which camepartly from the way I started saying good-byeto my stepdaughter a few years ago. BecauseI was her stepdad, and not her real dad, I wasnever quite sure what my exact position was. Wedeveloped this thing where we’d say “peace, love,and understanding” and make a peace symbolcrossed with two hands together, then the twohands would make a heart symbol, and then wemade up a symbol that meant understanding.It’s kind of like a wave, like brainwaves betweentwo people. So it’s a way of saying good-bye, away of communicating with someone, but it’snot saying “I’ll see you tomorrow” or anythingspecific like that. I worked on this sculpture moreas a three-part work, but then I thought thatjust “understanding” was enough. It was simpler.Basically, I feel that if you can understandsomeone, you can live with them.``````Do you consider yourself an artist?I just don’t like using that word. I’m superstitiousabout it. I think it’s like if you asked me to tella joke and make you laugh, I don’t think I coulddo it. I’d just freeze up. So the idea that I’dmake a work of art, that just makes me freezeup. Talking about art is like talking about abig abstract idea that’s amazing and beautiful,but that’s not helpful when trying to makesomething amazing and beautiful. If you think,I really want to make people laugh, it becomesvery difficult because you’re setting a goal,and that’s counterproductive. Because whatgets called art in the world is something thatI think is very much worth trying to do.Now people going to art school think it’s oneof the few areas where people can do stupidthings, and therefore it’s much more trueto life, because life is stupid and weird andcrazy. In a lot of parts of life, you haveto drive on the right side of the road orfollow the rules because otherwise you’llget put in prison or whatever. But if Igo around saying I’m an artist and it’ssuch a big important thing—that’sthe problem with the word art. I sayart is important if people collectivelythink it’s important. But thatsignificance is not created by theperson who made the work. (^) MP ALL IMAGES: MARTIN CREED AND HAUSER & WIRTH68 MODERN PAINTERS JUNE/JULY 2016BLOUINARTINFO.COM