Creed's art is characterised by a gentle but subversive wit and by a minimalism rooted in an instinctive anti-materialism. His often extremely self-effacing works, all titled by number, such as Work No.79 1993, 'some Blu-Tack kneaded, rolled into a ball and depressed against a wall', or Work No. 88 'a sheet of A4 paper crumpled into a ball', or Work No. 81, have been characterised as 'attempts to short-circuit the visually overloaded, choice saturated culture in which we live'. They also take their place in the honourable tradition within the avant-garde of making work which appears to have no material value - which resists or defies commodification, even if in vain. Hence his conscious use of mundane and modest materials. His work however is always arresting and can be visually spectacular, as for example his neon works, or what is probably his most celebrated piece, Work No.200 1998, 'half the air in a given space'. Widely exhibited, this consists of a sufficient number of twelve inch white balloons filled with air to half-fill the gallery space. He has made variants with black , red and multi-coloured balloons.


http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/turnerprize/2001/Creed.htm
http://www.martincreed.com/works/index.html
http://www.designboom.com/portrait/creed.html