Breathless thumbnail 1
Breathless thumbnail 2
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images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
British Galleries, Room 121, Clore Study Area

Breathless

Sculptural Installation
2001 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

'Breathless' is a work commissioned specially from the British artist Cornelia Parker for display in the new British Galleries. It was specifically designed to fill the oculus or open space newly created between the two floors of the Galleries in a corner. It is made of 54 defunct brass band instruments which have been squashed flat and hung from wires. They are designed to be seen from both above and below, with polished upper surfaces and tarnished undersides. the work is an attempt by the artist to explore such ideas of duality as silence/noise, upper class/lower class, and death/resurrection.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 54 parts.

  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Tuba
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Tuba
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Tuba
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Tuba
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Euphonium
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Euphonium
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn (Flugel Horn)
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Horn (Flugel Horn)
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Trombone
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Trombone
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Trombone
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Trombone
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Trombone
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Trombone
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Trombone
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Trombone
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
  • Sculptural Installation, 'Breathless' Cornet
TitleBreathless (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Silver-plated brass wind instruments, flattened and suspended on stainless steel wire
Brief description
Sculpture Installation, 54 flattened silver-plated brass wind instruments, by Cornelia Parker, Britain, 2001
Physical description
54 flattened silver-plated brass wind instruments, arranged in circular formation and suspended on stainless steel wires. The instruments are (in inventory number order): 4 tubas, 2 euphoniums, 14 horns, 2 flugel horns, 8 trombones, 24 cornets.
Dimensions
  • Approximate diameter: 4550cm
Object history
Accessioned by the Sculpture Section in 2005 at request of Records Section, following commissioning for British Galleries in 1999.
Subjects depicted
Summary
'Breathless' is a work commissioned specially from the British artist Cornelia Parker for display in the new British Galleries. It was specifically designed to fill the oculus or open space newly created between the two floors of the Galleries in a corner. It is made of 54 defunct brass band instruments which have been squashed flat and hung from wires. They are designed to be seen from both above and below, with polished upper surfaces and tarnished undersides. the work is an attempt by the artist to explore such ideas of duality as silence/noise, upper class/lower class, and death/resurrection.
Collection
Accession number
A.6:1 to 54-2005

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Record createdMay 17, 2005
Record URL
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