Untitled (Stairs) 2001

Rachel Whiteread, sometime in her career, made this untitled sculpture of a staircase and well, that's that. Here's the thing though, I have always felt a strong sense of kinship with Whiteread, particularly her solidifying-space works. As a painter I understand the desire to make something permanent out of something intangible. The idea of capturing a void, it's like trying to paint a feeling, you know? This staircase here, it's not just stairs, is it? It's the memory of climbing, the anticipation of arrival, the echo of footsteps. Whiteread's practice is all about absences made present. This object bears witness to both the grand architectural ambition of stairs, but also the quieter domestic one, which is totally brilliant! Anyway, it's the kind of work that reminds you that art is about seeing the world in a completely different way.