From insignificance to significance

Abstract

Through a series of artworks, the name ‘Martin Creed’ leads us to a position where the concept of what counts as an object of attention cannot be taken for granted. We find ourselves in a context where any minute, ordinarily overlooked detail can be elevated and transformed into an object for close, careful consideration. This chapter is a demonstration of how philosophy can come to terms with the fine-grained questioning and highly attentive looking one is invited to adopt when one perceives over time a sheet of A4 paper screwed into a ball, or spends time in a room in which the lights are going on and off. A particular ‘Martin Creed’ is identified, and the reason for the choice is shown to be a result of the transition from insignificance to significance that occurs in the artist’s work. The importance of the transition for a philosophical interpretation of selected artworks, and for debate on the aesthetics of conceptual art, is also established.