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Martin Creed, winner of this year's Turner Prize, enlightened us about his work.
Chat Ed : Martin is now with us!
Martin Creed : Hello.
Cyndlet Night : How excited where you when you found out that you had won the prize?
Martin Creed : Er.. I was um.. I wouldn't say excited. I would say relieved, relieved that I knew that it was all over. I was happy! And, yeah, I was less nervous then y'know. I was in a way... yep. It was just a relief to hear it and for it kinda to be all over with. Yep. Yeah I'm very happy.
Davey Double : Congrats on winning the money, but how do you artistically justify switching lights on and off for a panel of boring conservative old farts?
Martin Creed laughs
Martin Creed : Ehm... Well I don't think we are. I presume you're talking about the judges? I don't think they are. So... and therefore... and whether they are or not, I don't, I don't... I didn't try to make this thing for the judges. I was trying to forget about it being a... a prize. Of course it was impossible to forget about it being a prize but I tried! And so I don't think it needs to be justified? I'm just trying to do something and..ehm..yep. I'm not sure what else to say.
chris : I've been turning my bog light on & off... does this mean I'm in breach of some copyright?
Martin Creed : No. No it doesn't. Um. Well it might do? I dunno.
Martin Creed laughs
Ellie Nicholls : Hello Martin, Well done for your success last night. What did you think of Madonna's somewhat controversial speech? And what first inspired you to create your piece of work?
Martin Creed : So I liked the speech. Yeah, I liked it. I thought it was a great speech. Although it was difficult to concentrate on the speech because I was kinda nervous. And to try and answer the second part, which I've forgotten... It's difficult to say what the inspiration is exactly. In general for all of the things that I make I think that they all come from a very primary and initial desire to make something. Yeah. Desire, a feeling and just wanting to do things in the world and show them to people. That's not the inspiration so much as the .. er... the push to do things? And... I s'pose having, having decided to try to do something, for me it's not so much about inspiration as trying to work through various ideas or er possibilities. Until I come up with something. I think I'm very slow? So I'm kinda a slow worker. So it can take a long time to... before something becomes a thing which I'm happy to put in the world and show people. It's kinda scary to show things to people, or to put something in an art gallery and say look at this. So yep. A slow process. Difficult to say where the inspiration is exactly. It's more like... making a long kind of, hard doing, a long hard piece of work, like knitting or something, y'know? It takes a long time. I dunno. Yep.
Amy : Is this you way of looking at Western society and saying we are so stupid we will throw 20000 quid at anyone who can turn a light on and off? Is this a statement of our greed and disintrest in art of real value?
Martin Creed : Erm. I think the answer to that whole question is no. But it's a very complicated question. The answer to the first part is definitely no. The ... it's... no. It isn't!
Arty_Angel_Steph : Have you won any other major art prizes?
Martin Creed : No! I don't think so. But I would like to!
carole sender : Nicholas Serota suggested that one aspect of the work might be about surveillance and interrogation (ie sinister connotations) can you relate to that reading?
Martin Creed thinks
Martin Creed : Yesss...I can... but I would not direct anyone towards reading it like that.
But I can *relate* to it, because sometimes when I've been in the room when it's dark outside, and it's at its most extreme, the light's really bright when it comes on, after a while sometimes I have a headache y'know? It depends on the time of day. But in general, I like it when the possible interpretation is as open and free as possible. For me to... to... ask people to look at it in a certain way - I don't think that ever happens, people do what they like, y'know? They think what they think? I can't make them see something in a certain way, and therefore I don't try to make them read it in a certain way. I do not... when I look at other people's work, I don't particularly like feeling that I'm being kinda asked, kinda led, to see something in a particular way. I prefer to kinda feel free to find in things what I find.
dada : Do you understand why people might think the work is a piss take ?
Martin Creed : Yeh. Yep. I do. To try to say more, I would say that I... it makes me, y'know, it makes me smile. The work. But, it's kinda difficult to talk about things being funny because... and also about being a piss take, because it's all a matter of opinion and taste. But it makes me smile, and most of the things I like are things that make me smile, or things that are funny? That's not to say it's necessarily comedy, but yep. That's all.
emmo : What is your own interpretation of this work?
Martin Creed : I... well, first of all, I like it.
Martin Creed laughs
Martin Creed : I think that... well, it's one of my favourite works of my own. And the reason I like it is that what you see is the... is the room with people in it. Unless you're in there on your own. I think that the work's made of people. What I'm trying to say is that because there's no materials or no extras been added to the room, all there is is what's there and what visits the room. And so... I like that.: Because I get anxious about adding stuff to the world! And therefore if I can just make something happen, not without necessarily making an object, then it makes me kinda look at the world slightly differently. But I don't know if that necessarily happens with other people.
n3v : who was the electrician?
Martin Creed : heh. well there were two or three. They are the Tate electricians who are contracted and work for the Tate. They were very good. Because I've done quite a few works like this, there was a guy, a friend of mine, who's often helped me. Because switching lights on and off, it's a very straightforward electrical operation, sometimes it can be very complicated when the building is old and the wiring is old. And also because lights aren't actually designed to be switched on and off in that manner. Which is why there's two sets of lights in the Tate rooms, and in one of them there's a slight time delay when it's switched on. And that's because of the nature of the lights, like when you switch on a striplight and there's a kinda flicker before it kicks in.
andylee : Martin, it is almost 100 years since art stopped being just about skilfully executed paintings and sculptures, yet the British public and media still seem to be unable to grasp this. Does the attitude towards contemporary art in this country frustrate you?
Martin Creed : Ehm, I dunno. I dunno. I think in a way that attitude is present in many countries, and I think it's a natural part of culture. I dunno if it really frustrates me, I would say... not...really. Only because I don't find it particularly helpful in making things to get kinda worked up about things like that? And also because I'm not a missionary? I'm not trying to teach people... Therefore that's a kinda difficult thing. I would rather just try and do the things I do the best I can and hope that I can continue to do them and that also that people you know... that people can engage with them.
clara : Who is your favourite artist? (you cannot say yourself)
Martin Creed : Mozart.
Ellie Nicholls : Where did you study art and do you feel you have to justify your art when there are more 'seemingly' more talented artists out there?
Martin Creed laughs
Martin Creed : I studied at the Slade School of Art. I don't think it's necessarily... this relates to one of the previous questions... I don't think it's necessarily useful to feel that you have to justify the work all the time? In trying to do things it doesn't help to be feeling defensive about it. Also it's difficult... it's impossible to justify things because in order to justify them you have to have some idea about why you're justifying them and to whom you're justifying them, and therefore why would you try to do it, y'know? But that's not to say that I don't like to talk about it, because I do. I like talking about the work and answering questions about it. It makes me think, and when I think sometimes I find something or learn something.
Chat Ed : Our half hour with MARTIN is nearly up now, so last two questions now, thanks...
John Moloney : Do you have to go to Art School to be an artist ?
Martin Creed : No. Absolutely not! Of course not!
Ribena Girl : Did you choose which 'piece' to enter into the turner prize or did someone help you?
Martin Creed : Well I chose, but I also discussed it with friends, and my girlfriend, and my galleries, yep. But I y'know, I decided it and asked others' opinions. It was a very hard decision. Difficult. Aye.
Chat Ed : One more question :)
matthew : how significant within the installation is the light that enters from the adjacent gallery? is that something that you considered during the conception of the scheme, or is it a costly oversight that detracts from the total darkness that means that the light within the room isnt totally off?
Martin Creed laughs
Martin Creed : Quite the opposite. I like it! Because I like it when the work that I make is, y'know, it joins with the rest of the world, so it's not this precious thing inside a frame of its own... it just joins and becomes part of everything, y'know the stuff that is or isn't. I think the light coming in, when the light's off, I like looking through into those other rooms and the people, that's something I like about it.
Chat Ed : That's it! Thanks for that Martin - great stuff! Thanks for joining us tonight everyone. Why not take a look at the Turner Prize website - it's packed with loads of information on the award. Don't forget that you can carry on the discussions after the chat in the Turner Prize forum.
Martin Creed : thanks everyone! Thanks for asking...logging on!
Ribena Girl : BYE!
Sammyb : Thanks Martin.
stevie : thanks
missweenock : cheers!
Ellie Nicholls : thanks bye!
MrandMrsLightswitch : Happy Christmas
Martin Creed leaves the room
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