POSITIVE SPACECELEBRATING RACHEL WHITEREAD

BIOGRAPHY

GHOST (1990)

HOUSE (1993)

TURNER PRIZE

COLLECTION

NAMELESS LIBRARY (2000)

WHITEREAD CBE

‘STAIRS’ (2001)

EMBANKMENT (2005)

TESTIMONY

I THINK THAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND SOME OF THE OTHER

YABs (YOUNG BRITISH ARTISTS) WAS THAT I WAS AMBITIOUS FOR THE

WORK, AND NOT AMBITIOUS FOR MYSELF

BIOGRAPHY

Let us introduce Rachel Whiteread as ‘BRITAIN’S GREATEST LIVING ARTIST’. That’s how Jonathan Jones described her writing for The Guardian in Dec 2012.Whiteread is an established member of the YBAs (Young British Artists) but it’s her comrades that have stolen the limelight that she truly merits. She was unlike the ‘Brat pack’ that she was so closely affiliated with, because she was a person with class. Whiteread was driven to create art, not headlines, and didn’t present herself as a drunk, nor did she exploit tasteless subject matter and use controversy as a measure for success. There was a science, and a difficulty to her work that far exceeded the technical capabilities of most. A quick glance at the back catalogue will reveal the genius artist that Rachel Whiteread was. But first, we will meet Rachel Whiteread, the person.

Rachel is a sculptor, draughtswomen and also a printmaker. London born in 1963, she was raised in the countryside of Essex, before returning to her place of birth at the age of just seven. She was a graduate of Brighton Polytechnic (82-5), where she studied painting. She succeeded that with a brief study at Cyprus College of Art and achieved a degree in sculpture from Slade School of Fine Art (85-7). She tragically lost her father in 1988 whilst studying at Art College and was left with her mother and two older sisters (identical twins). It wasn’t for 15 years until she also lost her artist mother in 2003, an event which had a vast impact on her future work.She currently lives in london with a family of her own, with two sons and a successful long term relationship with fellow sculptor Marcus Taylor.

THIS IS AN INSIGHT, AN INTRODUCTION, A

REFLECTION AND A CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE

AND WORK OF RACHEL WHITEREAD; AWARD

WINNING SCULPTOR AND ARTISTIC GENIUS

UNQUESTIONABLY THE MOST RESOLVED, SUBSTANTIAL AND SATISFYING USE SO FAR OF THE SINGLE IDEA THAT DEFINES HER CAREERDavid Cohen

GHOST 1991

In her breakthrough 1990 work Ghost, Rachel Whiteread created a positive from a negative, making a plaster cast of the interior “void” of a Victorian parlour measuring approximately 9 feet wide, 11 1/2 feet high, and 10 feet deep. Whiteread has said of this sculpture that she was trying to “mummify the air in the room,” hence the title. The construction of Ghost took over 3 months, in an abandoned building at 486 Archway Road, North London, covering the interior walls with multiple plaster moulds, each about five inches thick. Once the plaster had dried, she peeled the moulds from the walls and reassembled them on a steel frameThe result is a spectral monument: a structure composed from a void in which the architectural elements defining that space - windows, doors, door handles, soot-streaked fireplace, tile grids, mouldings, light switches - all appear in reverse. Whiteread’s sculpture makes reference to a number of historical art themes: the history of memorial architecture and symbolic space; the history and temporal implications of plaster as a medium that preserves an original; and the extension of minimal and conceptual art at the end of the twentieth century. Ghost has already been acknowledged as a new “classic,” one that resonates deeply with the history of Western art and architecture, and Whiteread is now recognized as one of the most important artists of her generation.

GHOST 1990

House is debatably the work that shaped the career of Rachel Whiteread. The 1993 piece continued/completed her rise to prominence following the success of Ghost which put her on the map. House is a life-sized replica of the interior of a condemned terrace house in London produced by filling the empty shell with liquid concrete before removing the external walls. Whiteread is one of the few artists of her generation to have produced monumental public sculptures. This sculpture was intended to stand for 3 months and then be ripped down, cleared away and turfed over. It was, but the impression it left on the public imagination surpassed anything Whiteread could have ever anticipated.

Whiteread could never understand why it was such a focus of attention and the public’s involvement with the sculpture left her with a feeling of bemusement. The response to the piece was incredible; she would receive letters from people who have visited the site: retired army officers, nurses, ordinary people, art lovers and loonies. There’s a man who even addresses his letters to the house itself, a house that no longer exists.The sculpture drew in large crowds daily who would patrol the site, inspecting the fine details, documenting the experience with photo and film. Some would stand back and stare and others left poetry on the nearby wall. A truly fascinating return which far exceeds the artists comprehension.

The site wasn’t for Whiteread to make appearances and sign t-shirts. She would sneak past and view from the safety of her car. Her familiarity amongst the public and moment in the limelight caused infinite photo-calls once her presence was known. She described the experience as ‘quite traumatic’ but said she’d ‘love to be invisible and just stand there for the day’. Through the act of inversion House has converted the private and essentially hidden space that we live, worry about and decorate, into a physical, public expression. An empty setting has been exposed, a place where people lived, grew up, grew old and died.

AND, ONE MIGHT ADD, FUCKED, ROWED, WORRIED, SLEPT, ATE, SHAT, FOUGHT, LAUGHED AND LIED. NO ONE LOOKS OUT OF THE WINDOWS ANY MORE, NO ONE PUTS OUT THE MILK BOTTLES ON THE DOORSTEP; NO ONE SHOUTS ‘KEVIN COME IN YOUR TEA’S READY’ OR RETURNS HOME LATE FROM THE PUB AND FUMBLES WITH THE KEYS TO THE LOCK: NO ONE, NOT EVEN RACHEL, LIVES HERE ANYMORE. HOUSE IS A DEAD SPACE.Adrian Searle

There’s a man who even addresses his letters to the house itself, a

house that no longer exists.

An empty setting has been exposed, a place where people

lived, grew up, grew old and died.

HOUSE

1993

HOUSE 1993 TURNER PRIZE

Tate Britain presents

T U R N ER

PR IZE93

In 1993 Rachel Whiteread was awarded the Turner Prize just after creating House (destr. 1994). This was Whitereads second nomination after her first in 1991, which was claimed by Anish Kapoor.Also in 2003 former band members of The KLF created the “Anti Turner Prize”, matching the real prize’s £40,000 award. This was ‘awarded’ to the worst artist. Whiteread also won this parody award, but donated the prize money to charity. Whiteread was told that failure to appear and accept the award would result in the destruction of the prize money so she reluctantly received the cash before sharing the money amongst young artists and the charity Shelter.

THE TURNER PRIZE DIDN’T CHANGE

MY LIFE - BUT HOUSE DID

ANDREW GRAHAM-DIXON

The piece which won her the prestigious award (House) was very controversial, and the night Whiteread won the Turner Prize, she learned it would be demolished. Although Whiteread contractually agreed to the demolition of House eventually, she was still dismayed to hear that its time on display would not be extended.

A STRANGE AND FANTASTICAL

OBJECT WHICH ALSO AMOUNTS TO

ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY

AND IMAGINATIVE PUBLIC

SCULPTURES CREATED BY AN

ENGLISH ARTIST THIS CENTURY

RACHEL WHITEREAD

AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASE-NOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MIT-TELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELS-EN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZ-WEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZ-MANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBI-CA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACH-SENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLI-BORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALAASPILS, SAN SAB-BA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHEN-WALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEU-ENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THER-ESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOS-SENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RA-VENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUS-CHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBI-CA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENS-BRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAU-THAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENO-VAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZ-MANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIEN-STADT, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUS-CHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOS-SENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAI-SERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZ-MANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MIT-TELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZ-WEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THER-ESIENSTADT, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČK, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUB-LIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAU-THAUSEN, MINSKV, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEU-ENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RA-VENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC

Book’ and are

also a comment on the Nazi book

burnings. The large front doors are cast inside out, and have

no doorknobs or handles. They suggest the possibility of coming and going, but do not open.As a piece of art, the memorial stands in contrast to the Baroque art and beautiful architecture of Vienna. Whiteread had confirmed that there was inspiration taken from bunkers and military fortifications.

The sculpture is lined with engravings and on the ground in front of the double doors is the trilingual inscription of the sculptures purpose, pointing out the crime of the Holocaust. This is written in German, Hebrew and English. In addition to this; Engraved on the plinth on the two sides and back of the memorial are the names of those places where Austrian Jews were murdered during Nazi rule. There is an aspect of discomfort and It was intended to evoke the tragedy and brutality of the Holocaust and in the words of Simon Wiesenthal at the unveiling, “This monument shouldn’t be beautiful, It must hurt.”

NAMELESS LIBRARY

2000

Nameless Library is the title given to the Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial, which stands in Judenplatz, the first district of Vienna. It serves as a memorial to the Austrian Jews whose lives were tragically taken during the holocaust. The outside walls of the cast are negative sculptures of book shelves.

The spines are on the inside so the content of each book will never be revealed. The books stand for the concept that the Jews are ‘People of the

“This monument shouldn’t be beautiful, It must hurt.”

They suggest the possibility of coming and going, but do not open.

NEGATIVE PLACE - Engravings commemorate the 40 locations where Austrian Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. This type wall shows the 40 place names multiplied to represent just 1% of the 65000 murdered.

AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASE-NOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MIT-TELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELS-EN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZ-WEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZ-MANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBI-CA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACH-SENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLI-BORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALAASPILS, SAN SAB-BA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHEN-WALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEU-ENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THER-ESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOS-SENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RA-VENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUS-CHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBI-CA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENS-BRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAU-THAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIENSTADT, TRAWNIKI, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENO-VAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZ-MANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THERESIEN-STADT, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUS-CHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČKO, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOS-SENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAI-SERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZ-MANNSTADT, LUBLIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAUTHAUSEN, MINSK, MIT-TELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZ-WEILER, NEUENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RAVENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC, SACHSENHAUSEN, SALASPILS, SAN SABBA, SOBIBOR, STUTTHOF, THER-ESIENSTADT, TREBLINKA, WŁODAWA, ZAMOŚĆ, AUSCHWITZ, BEŁŻEC, BERGEN-BELSEN, BRČK, BUCHENWALD, CHEŁMNO, DACHAU, FLOSSENBÜRG, GROSS-ROSEN, GURS, HARTHEIM, IZBICA, JASENOVAC, JUNGFERNHOF, KAISERWALD, KIELCE, KOWNO, ŁAGÓW, LITZMANNSTADT, LUB-LIN, MAJDANEK, MALY TROSTINEC, MAU-THAUSEN, MINSKV, MITTELBAU/DORA, MODLIBORZYCE, NATZWEILER, NEU-ENGAMME, NISKO, OPATÓW, OPOLE, RA-VENSBRÜCK, REJOWIEC, RIGA, ŠABAC

WHITEREAD | FROM YBA TO CBEIn 2006, Queen Elizabeth II rewarded Whiteread with the title her career and service to Art deserved. She subsequently became Rachel Whiteread CBE

More than a decade after becoming the first women ever to win the Turner Prize, Whiteread’s career was truly celebrated by being honoured with a place amongst the Commanders of the Order of the British Empire. She has a catalogue of incredible, inspirational pieces but upon receiving the honour she spoke of those that provided the greatest personal satisfaction, citing ‘Nameless Library’ (the Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial) and her

work back in 1993, ‘House’ which earned her the commendable Turner Prize that year. Speaking about the event Whiteread said “It’s very good to be able to honour art in this way,” and that receiving the honour from Her Majesty herself was “a bit bizarre”. She added: “The Queen said ‘You make sculptures?’ and she asked if they were shown all over world”.”And then I said ‘Yes, Your Majesty’.”

NAMELESS LIBRARY 2000 FROM YBA TO CBE

Stairs is a large free-standing sculpture made up of ten cast elements bolted together to form a unit. It is the cast of a staircase, including three landings, as the stairs zigzag down the stairwell. Whiteread cast the surface of the stairs and the space above them. She made a scale model beforehand in order to visualise the form of the solid space. It has been rotated by 90 degrees so that it stands on an edge which would have been a wall originally.

‘STAIRS’ 2001

STAIRS 2001

I EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT MOMENTS OF CONFUSION. IT BEING A CAST OF A MULTI LEVEL STAIRCASE PRESENTED ITSELF LIKE A DIFFICULT MATHEMATICAL EQUATION, MENTALLY ADDING AND SUBTRACTING WHAT WAS NOT THEREPeter Combe

Embankment was a commissioned piece for Unilever which would go on display in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall. The sculpture is made up of approximately 14,000 translucent white polyethylene boxes which are casts from the insides of cardboard boxes. This work was particularly inspired by the loss of her mother and a period of upheaval which involved packing and moving boxes in which she discovered a tatty old box that had ‘lived many lives’ and clearly served her mother well. Whiteread also cited the end scenes of two films (Raiders of the Lost Ark and Citizen Kane) as visual precursors. All of the structures are immovable and the boxes are stacked up in both ordered and disordered, mountain like piles; and whilst they encourage us to think about the space they inhabit, en masse they are also a spectacle, an unforgettable image that reveals itself slowly as the viewer approaches.

EMBANKMENT 2005

WITH THIS WORK WHITEREAD HAS DEEPENED HER GAME, AND MADE A WORK AS RICH AND SUBTLE AS IT IS SPECTACULAR. WHATEVER ELSE IT IS, EMBANKMENT IS GENEROUS AND BRAVE, A STATEMENT OF INTENTAdrian Searle

HER MAGNIFICENT SCULPTURES CONJURE UP VANISHED

LIVES, LOST VOICES AND FORGOTTEN LOVES – AND SIT

EASILY ALONGSIDE MODERN MASTER JONATHAN JONES

SHE GIVES THE INSIDE OF THINGS A LIFE WE

NEVER KNEW THEY POSSESSEDJOHN WALSH

THE RESULTS ARE DREAMLIKE TRACES OF THE

OBJECTS AND THE SPACES OF OUR LIVESDAMON HYLDRETH

THAT SENSE OF MUTABILITY, OF INCONSTANCY AND

INESCAPABLE, UNREMITTING CHANGE, IS IN FACT

A CENTRAL FEATURE OF HER BEST WORKCHRIS KNIGHT

SHE IS EMINENTLY CAPABLE OF SECURING PRAISE, EVEN

GENUINE ADMIRATION, FROM QUARTERS THAT OTHER

YBAS JUST DON’T REACHBUNNY SMEDLEY

SHE RESTORES TO ART ANOTHER SIDE OF MODERNISM,

WELL BEFORE THE 1960S - A FOCUS ON CRAFT

AND THE BANALITY OF THE EVERYDAYJOHN HABER