Work No. 1020 Ballet

Classical Ballet and punk

The works of the artist Martin Creed (1968) are often the result of a strictly applied concept or structure in which the work can move and interact with the viewer. In 2001 he was awarded the Turner Prize for The Lights Going On and Off (Work No. 227): an empty room in which the lights go on and off every five seconds. For Work No. 850 (2008) he had an athlete running at top speed through the halls of Tate Britain every 30 seconds for four months. Creed is also a musician. In 1994 he founded the band Owada. Three years later he wrote a composition for orchestra. The eighteen musicians were seated in a row according to the pitch of their instrument. The chords played produced waves of sound through the line thus creating a strong auditory and visual effect. Creed’s musical compositions and performances are often seen in parallel with his visual art.
  
In Performatik we will be presenting Work No. 1020 Ballet. Its structure is based on the five basic positions of classical ballet, numerical sequences and the alphabet. All this appears to be an inexhaustible source of humour and creativity. Supported by poetic punk (live!), in passing Creed makes statements about composition, dance and life.

With a mish mash of humour, ad libbing and rhetorical questions, it’s eccentric, imaginative, self-indulgent, artistic. Drawn into the whole repetitive, rhythmic music and movement, beat by beat, step by step, this is an utterly hypnotic multi-media performance. - Edinburgh Guide

Most ballet is not very funny. But by using just the five basic positions of ballet, Martin Creed — better known for his art than his choreographic skills — offers a playful and engaging 70 minutes of repetitions where the limitations actually become the springboard of creativity. -
The Guardian