Simon Patterson | The Day the Earth Stood Still (2010)

Simon Patterson | The Day the Earth Stood Still (2010)[[specs start]] Digital print on proof gloss paper. 68 x 48 cm [26. 8 x 19 inches]. Edition of 100 works, signed and numbered recto. Produced by Omni. [[specs end]] [[work start]] About the work In his print for the Whitechapel Gallery, Simon Patterson references a favourite film, released at the height of the Cold War. In a famous scene from the 1951 Sci Fi classic, The Day the Earth Stood Still, actress Patricia Neal instructs the robot Gort, not to

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Digital print on proof gloss paper.
68 x 48 cm [26.8 x 19 inches]. 
Edition of 100 works, signed and numbered recto. Produced by Omni.

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About the work

In his print for the Whitechapel Gallery, Simon Patterson references a favourite film, released at the height of the Cold War. In a famous scene from the 1951 Sci Fi classic, The Day the Earth Stood Still, actress Patricia Neal instructs the robot Gort, not to destroy the planet earth with the words: 'Gort, Klaatu Borado Nikto'.

The print itself combines 70mm high-speed camera shots at CERN [ the European Organisation of Nuclear Research, Switzerland] of a cylindrical particle accelerator target, echoing elements in The Day the Earth Stood Still. At the time of the recent test firing of the Large Hadron Collide in Switzerland, there were fears it might end in disaster or, that at the very least, that Switzerland might be sucked into a black hole.

This limited edition was produced in response to the exhibition This is Tomorrow which was held at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1956 and in particular pays homage to Richard Hamilton's seminal poster Just What Is It That Makes Today's Homes So Different, So Appealing shown during the exhibition.

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About the artist

British artist Simon Patterson was born in 1967 and works across different mediums from painting, sculpture and film to architectural models, whilst questioning and subverting the use of language as a trusted and reliable means of imparting information. One of his most well-known works, The Great Bear, 1992, replaced the names of stations on the London Underground map with those of comedians, footballers, philosophers and saints.

Patterson's work is held in the collections of Tate, the British Council, the Arts Council and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. He was nominated for the Turner prize in 1996.

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Selected exhibitions

Patterson has exhibited in Chisenhale Gallery, London; Ikon Gallery, Birmingham; MOMA, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago; Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn; The Victoria and Albert Museum and Tate Britain, London.

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Whitechapel Gallery editions are generously donated by the artists. All proceeds from the sale of these works directly support our exhibition and education programmes. As is traditional in editions publishing, prices will rise as an edition starts to sell out. 

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