Michael Craig martin
Michael Craig Martin is attempting to communicate through conceptualism, minimal construction usually depicting everyday household objects drawing inspiration from dada (dadaism) an art movement exploring and encouraging anti-war politics. He also drew inspiration from Marcel Duchamp a surrealist artist who challenged conventional thought within art. His work is composed of black line drawings can be compared to the works of both Patrick Caulfield and Julian Opie. His work is coloured to convey a message through the style of pop art with vibrant primary colours filling in and/or highlighting areas of the piece which is covered with these collection of conventional items.
His works can be done on canvas with (acrylic) paint or with other methods, such as using black tape to make the lines. Quoted, "I've always wanted to make drawings that were absolutely style-less," says Craig-Martin. This to me seems accurate and I believe his has succeed in achieving that mood, feel and look to his work. Flat colours usual tend to draw attention but fail to display depth personality and story; the object has been simplified and filled with colours which are a far fetch from what you know the item to look like. However by standing both complementary and contrasting colours side by side it sets quite a segmented and linear look but at the same time free flowing and the thin black line connects every piece of the picture. As we know objects in the real life are not composed of out lines and lined detail but instead a blend of shades and shapes to obtain this form. What Michael Craig Martin has done is eradicated that from your thought when looking at his work and used an exaggerated use of colour to manipulated the subject.
Michael was born in Dublin in 1941; Michael Craig-Martin studied at Yale University School of Art and Architecture in the early 1960s, but has spent most of his working life in Great Britain. Since that time he has shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Britain and internationally, including the definitive exhibition of British conceptual art, The New Art, at the Hayward Gallery (1972). The impact Michael has had on the world of art is obvious. From 1974 to 1988, Michael instructed art at Goldsmiths College, London. Michael returned to Goldsmiths College in 1993 as Millard Professor of Fine Art. Michael has a long and impressive list of accomplishments in the world of art: He has served as a Trustee at the Tate Gallery, has done installations for the Projects exhibition series at The Museum of Modern Art, New York (1991) and the Centre Pompidou in Paris (1994), and has created major wallpainting installations at the Kunstverein Hannover (1998) and at the Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart (1999). Michael represented Great Britain at the XXIV Bienal de São Paulo (Brazil) in 1998 due to his dedication and contributions to the artworld.
Micheal had dicided on becoming an artist from a very young age and it is due to his encounters in life that he was able to decided his career path so early on in life. Quoted,” I decided I wanted to be an artist very young - I was about 12 when I first saw reproductions of 'modern' art. For some reason I realized that art would always be elusive and ungraspable and I knew that that was for me. I met a 'real' artist, the Spanish artist Antonio Roda, when I was 14 and started drawing classes with him. I was very determined but full of self-doubt.”
I have used this artist in my own experimentation work in order to attempt to express moods and feelings of my personality. Through the selection of colours and composition of objects traced from my earlier collage I have made response to a simple but yet effective working style. I admire his pieces in how they draw inspiration from previous artists from several art movements cross referencing them into one style and creating his own.
