Photo credit: © alhi1, CC BY-ND 2.0 (previous exhibition held at Serpentine Gallery)
Yesterday saw the launch of a major retrospective of the work of Royal Academician Michael Craig-Martin, which explores his work over the past sixty years.
About
Running until 10 December, the main galleries of the Royal Academy are hosting a major retrospective of the works of Irish-born artist Michael Craig-Martin.
This fascinating exhibition explores Craig-Martin’s evolution of style and changing media over the past six decades, from sculpture and installation to drawing, painting and digital works. It showcases over 120 of his works including new pieces created for this landmark exhibition, making it the largest retrospective of the artist to be held in the UK.
Influences and influencer
Craig-Martin’s trademark style brings elements of Pop, Minimalist and Conceptual Art. His work has influenced many modern artists including the Young British Artists set (notably Damien Hirst, Gary Hume and Sarah Lucas).
Subject matter
Craig-Martin is well-known for his studies of everyday household objects, portrayed in bold colours.
Reviews
Sky News enthuse: “Challenging us all to look with fresh eyes at the ‘ordinary’ all around us, Michael Craig-Martin’s body of work is proof of why he is one of the most extraordinary artists working today.”
In The Standard’s review, Nancy Durrant comments: “As his practice has developed, over time, into now instantly recognisable line drawings of everyday objects, and from near-monochrome into vivid colour, our experience of the world, through the language of images – a globe, a shoe, a flower, a revolver, a chair, a pencil sharpener – has continued to fascinate him… Craig-Martin’s work can be enjoyed on several levels, by pretty much anyone… much of it does, rather successfully, actually encourage looking, taking us past, as he explains it, “that first stage of recognition” to considering “how things exist in conjunction with each other”.
Getting there
The Royal Academy is just an eleven-minute walk from Hertford Street.