Untitled (Twenty-Four Switches) 1998

Rachel Whiteread made this piece, Untitled (Twenty-Four Switches), from plaster. It's fascinating to see something so everyday immortalized in this material. The plaster feels cool to the touch, like a fossil, or something recovered from an archeological dig. The palette is muted, shades of gray that invite the eye to linger on the slight variations in texture and tone. It's a kind of anti-monument, an honoring of the overlooked. I keep thinking about the individual switches, each a little rectangle within the whole. Some are more clearly defined, others softer. It feels like an exercise in memory, the slight imperfections giving the piece a tender quality. This reminds me of the work of Vija Celmins, who also turns everyday objects into things of quiet contemplation. Ultimately, Whiteread's piece is about seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary.