Untitled (Pair)

This is one of a series of works based on mortuary slabs. One of the parts is a direct cast of the top of such a slab, with its lightly hollowed surface designed to capture bodily fluids and channel them away. The second is a cast of that same concave surface, turned upside down so that it forms a convex shape, this time bordered by a narrow lip. The pair of sculptures would lock tightly together if one were placed upon the other. Rigorously minimalist in appearance, these are nonetheless strongly emotive works. They are Whiteread's first bronze sculptures, and her first works made specifically for outdoor exhibition. Untitled (Pair) will be sited in the grounds of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, joining works by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Tony Cragg and others.