Martin Creed Plays Chicago
Jan – Dec 2012
Martin Creed
Work No. 1357, MOTHERS, 2012
White neon, steel
22.4 x 47.6 feet (6.8 x 14.5 m)
Courtesy of the artist and Gavin Brown’s enterprise, New York
Installation view, Martin Creed Plays Chicago, MCA Chicago, 2012
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago
This large neon sculpture by Martin Creed continues MCA Chicago’s commitment to blurring the lines between the inside and outside of the museum. Creed often uses language in his work, spelling out unassuming words or common phrases. As the word MOTHERS spins above the MCA plaza, it becomes a glowing presence that is both celebratory and imposing. The sculpture has to be large, Creed says, “because mothers always have to be bigger than you are” and because “it feels like mothers are the most important people in the world.”
This work is jointly presented as the MCA Chicago Plaza Project for 2012.