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[title]One after another, people walk on to the oh-so-pure, white set… and throw up. The first girl doesn‘t produce much; she sticks her fingers down her throat several times, but comes up with only a few drops of bile before giving up and leaving the frame. The next person does better and the third spews up a reasonable amount. Martin Creed has edited the ’Sick Film‘ so that things build from scant beginnings to a crescendo – a veritable waterfall in terms of quantity, spread and colour. The last candidate vomits copiously all over the set; its hard to believe that such a lake could emanate from a single stomach.
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![Martin Creed: private view]()
Still from 'Sick Film'
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The film lasts 20 minutes and, despite being fascinating, is hard to watch; but the audience turned the event into a party. Loud gasps, groans and cries of ‘Oh No’ were followed by exclamations such as ‘What has she been eating?’ (of a girl who vomits a purple pool) – as if sharing these vulnerable moments makes everyone more open and spontaneous. I manage to keep my dinner down, while talking to the Turner Prize winner.
What prompted you to film people vomiting?
I’ve been doing a lot of talks lately and the idea came from trying to talk about working – turning feelings, thoughts, desires, hopes and ideas into something to show other people. Vomiting is a good example of trying to get something from the inside out; its painful and making work can be painful too; its also uncontrollable. I want to make work that is more like a vomit than a rumination. I always try to control things, but a lot of good things are found in the uncontrollable moments of life. Thinking gets in the way so often; it checks you and stops you expressing yourself freely. Vomiting is a very simple form of expression; its a reflex that bypasses the thinking process and, since I made the film, I’ve been thinking a lot about acting. I find myself repeating myself, because its so difficult to make things fresh each time. The ‘Sick Film’ is an attempt to make a fresh thing never made before – a work without prejudice and without hope.You have to have hope, don’t you?
Working without prejudice and without hope is a good way to protect oneself. If you state your aim then you will be disappointed, but not if you remove hope.Did people prepare before hand? The guy in the yellow T-shirt, for example, has a bloated stomach as if he has drunk a lot.
The script was clear; it said ‘Be sick – do whatever you need to do’. I sought medical advice and was told that people should fill their stomachs, especially with liquid, which is easier to vomit and does less damage. We had a kitchen and a dining area and provided anything people wanted – food, beer and so on.What a waste!
In the sense of art making it was very economical!Not compared with masking tape (which you have famously used)!
It’s an everyday material – or it is where I live in Brick Lane! I’m always stepping over vomit.How carefully did you plan the film?
I did it without thinking about what I would do with the material. I shot it on film (rather than video) because I wanted it to be high quality and the colours and shapes to be well rendered. You saw it in a cinema as a regular film, but there’s also a gallery version – a looped clip of one person, rather than ten people seen one after another – designed for a freely moving audience; I like the idea of people being able to come and go. The cinema film is structured so that it has a narrative (the vomit gets more colourful and bigger in volume) and according to the amount of time it took each person between entering and vomiting. I shot 19 people and used ten, because I didn’t want the film to be too long and I didn’t want any fillers; I wanted each person to be different. The first girl was performing a lot, playing up to the camera. I was sitting next to the camera watching, and I found it uncomfortable – slightly voyeuristic – since, in terms of directing, I had no need to be there.I saw the trailer for your ‘Shit Film’ (in which a girl walks onto the set, drops her jeans, squats, pees and defecates, then dresses and walks off). Were you also watching her?
No, it was important to not be watching; it seemed too voyeuristic because it is such a private thing. I built a private set and used an automatic camera, switched on and off from another room; but I had to fight for it, because a lot of people did want to watch.Was it difficult to find people to take part?
More difficult than the ‘Sick Film’, which I did in London mainly with students. I filmed the ‘Shit Film’ with actors in LA; I shot it a year ago, but I haven’t yet decided what to do with the material. I need to think about it.The ‘Sick Film’ will soon be available on DVD from Hauser & Wirth. - Add your comment to this feature