Michael Craig-Martin - Evening & Day Editions London Monday, June 14, 2021 | Phillips

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  • Concerning himself primarily with the idiosyncrasies of prescribed value, Michael Craig-Martin suggests that ‘we often look for the special in special objects or special events, but actually, if we understood the quality of ordinary things, we are closer to the substance of life.’ In a series of twelve screenprinted images, Objects of our Time exemplifies this contention, using the individual item as an archetypal referent for modernity. Like art, material objects derive meaning from our own understanding.  Requiring human intervention, Craig-Martin’s works reveal the power of context and ground his entire oeuvre within modern and post-modern histories.

     

    Using seemingly mundane themes, Craig-Martin often also poignantly references art historical tradition. In Art & Design, another work by the artist presented here, he includes the outline of Jeff Koons’ iconic 1986 sculpture, Rabbit. Similarly, the inclusion of a pipe is an obvious nod to Rene Magritte’s 1929 painting Ceci n’est pas une pipe (The Treachery of Images), and its own interrogation of objective materiality.

     

    On a fundamental level, both series convey the tension between a commodity’s use and its value, exploring how this discrepancy pervades art as much as life.  

    • Catalogue Essay

      Including 4 Wheel Suitcase; Credit Card; Diamond Ring; Electric Toothbrush; High Heel; Juice Carton; Long-life Battery; Memory Stick; Noise Cancelling Headphones; Recycling Bins; Takeaway Coffee; and Wireless Mic

127

Objects Of Our Time

2014
The complete set of 12 screenprints in colours, on Somerset Satin paper, the full sheets.
all S. 50 x 50 cm (19 5/8 x 19 5/8 in.)
All signed, dated '2013' and numbered 19/50 in pencil on the reverse (there were also 10 artist's proofs), published by Alan Cristea Gallery, London, all framed.

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
£12,000 - 18,000 ♠†

Sold for £21,420

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Evening & Day Editions

London Auction 14 - 15 June 2021