Untitled (Stairs) 2001

Rachel Whiteread made this cast of a staircase, likely in the nineties or later, transforming something ordinary into something monumental and strange. The stark white form, with its rigid geometry, feels like a ghostly echo of what once was. Think about how Whiteread takes the negative space around the steps—the air where your feet aren’t—and makes it solid. This turns absence into presence. The texture is smooth, almost like plaster, and the color is a sterile white, which removes any sense of warmth or familiarity. It highlights the form's pure, abstract qualities, making you consider the essence of a staircase beyond its function. This piece reminds me a bit of the early minimalist sculptors like Sol LeWitt, who were also interested in basic geometric forms and repetition, but Whiteread adds this haunting, personal twist.