Martin Creed (British, 1968)

Born in Wakefield, England and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, Creed currently lives and works in London, England and Alicudi, Italy. He attended the Slade School of Art in London from 1986 to 1990. Creed integrates various art forms into his practice such as sculpture, text, drawing, video, painting, installation and music performances with his band. His extensive exhibition history includes Tate Britain, Van Abbe Museum, Ikon Gallery, Kunsthalle Bern, Museum of Modern Art New York, and Palais de Tokyo, to name just a few. In 2001 he was awarded the Turner Prize. Creed's approach to art making echoes minimalist strategies and often uses the slightest materials available including, sound, light, and air, delivered with a clever wit and welcoming the physical experience of the viewer.

Work No. 851: EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT, 2008
Neon, 29 ⅜ × 861 ⅝ inches (74.68 × 2188.46 cm)

The phrase "everything is going to be alright" has functioned as anything from a sentiment shared by people in times of crisis to lyrics in many pop songs. Creed's repetitive use of this text as a neon light sculpture affixed to the exterior surface of various structures mimics the ubiquitous use of the phrase itself. The work has made appearances in numerous social and geographical settings, from London's TATE Britain to Times Square in New York. Each installation fosters a new dimension in meaning as the site specific nature of this work shifts the social and historical context for interpretation. In 2008, Creed's Work No. 851: EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT, was permanently installed in the sculpture garden for Rennie Collection at Wing Sang, appearing six storeys high on the oldest building in Vancouver's historic Chinatown. This public gesture coming from the heart of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (known as the poorest postal code in Canada) celebrates optimism amidst the pervasive - and often exaggerated - negativity found within many of the messages we routinely encounter, offering hope for the future.