In Praise Of The Forgotten Objects Around Us

The coffee overflows a little at the edge of the cup, but no one seems to notice it. One hand pours sugar, while the other tussles mechanically. At the next table, a computer is already heating up, connected to a hidden outlet under the bench. The chair creaks discreetly when you settle in. A phone vibrates, two fingers slide on the screen, then come back to land on a barely touched spoon. Nothing exceptional, on the surface. Just one more morning, with his automatic gestures. Find out more in In Praise Of The Forgotten Objects Around Us.

The image on the left-hand side is a screenshot of the event poster shared via @petersfieldmuseum on Instagram.

And yet…

Have you ever wondered what you would do without these objects? Without this spoon, let’s be honest, without it, it’s difficult to eat. No faithful chair, or that cable that connects you to the world. These objects are there, discreet, constant, and effective. They fulfil their function without ever being noticed. And maybe that’s the problem: we don’t look at them anymore.

Why not give them a moment of gratitude? Not for their beauty, nor their novelty. But simply for what they are: silent tools that make our lives possible.

Michael Craig-Martin “Bulb” 2016 Silkscreen
41 7/10 × 20 9/10 in | 106 × 53 cm
© Michael Craig-Martin. Courtesy of Cristea Roberts Gallery and Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery

This is what Michael Craig-Martin does in his works. Through his collection of everyday objects: a light bulb, a clothespin, a glass, or a watch. He persuades us to see them again. He isolates them and colours them until they shine. And suddenly, what was banal becomes almost sacred. He reminds us that the function can be a form of poetry.

Based in London, where he lived and worked for decades, Michael Craig-Martin exhibits these paintings of reinvented objects at the Cristea Roberts Gallery. In the process of transmitting knowledge, he also taught at Goldsmiths College, where he helped shape a whole generation of contemporary British artists. Among those he influenced are Damien Hirst, Sarah Lucas, Gary Hume, and Julian Opie, each of whom is now recognised for their distinctive style.

In recognition of his significant contributions to the art world, Michael Craig-Martin was honoured by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2000, he was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and later, in 2016, he was knighted as a Knight Bachelor.

This summer, a selection of his prints will be on display at the Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery. The exhibition, Everyday Objects, features 23 works that highlight his highly chromatic use of colour and his distinctive line drawings.

Michael Craig-Martin “Folio” 2004 Portfolio of Twelve Screenprints
12 7/8 x 39 3/8″ (32.7 x 100 cm) each
© Michael Craig-Martin. Courtesy of Cristea Roberts Gallery and Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery

Michael Craig-Martin invites us to reconsider the transitory items that fill the world around us. Visitors will also discover Folio (2004), a portfolio of 12 prints of so-called designer objects like laptops and cameras, showing how contemporary luxurious items can easily become ordinary.

Michael Craig-Martin “Filing Cabinet/Memory Stick” 2017 Letterpress print on BFK Rives White 280gsm paper with hand-torn edges, consisting of a new drawing superimposed on a pre-existing drawing
68.0 x 50.0 cm – 26 3/4 x 19 3/4 in
© Michael Craig-Martin. Courtesy of Cristea Roberts Gallery and Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery

Two decades later, these images evoke nostalgia for objects that, in some cases, are no longer even manufactured. The exhibition also presents Then and Now (2017), where overlapping line designs of objects like filing cabinets and USB sticks, or cassette tapes and the Spotify logo, challenge us to reflect on how technology has transformed our daily tools.

Michael Craig-Martin “Quotidian Red: Moka Pot” 2024 Laser-etched red satin acrylic panel on 3mm sheet of acrylic affixed to Perspex  
50.0 x 50.0 cm – 19 3/4 x 19 3/4 in
© Michael Craig-Martin. Courtesy of Cristea Roberts Gallery and Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery

With intense colours that make the familiar suddenly unfamiliar, his images enable us to see these objects as special and unique.

“When I began drawing objects in the late 70’s, I chose those I saw as ordinary: modest, of limited value, ubiquitous-not special or unique in any way. However, over time, I came to see that the key to my choice of subjects was not so much ordinariness as familiarity.”

Michael Craig-Martin

These objects, carpeted in the shadow of habit, come back to life under his brush. What if, for once, we learned to thank them too?

If you enjoyed reading In Praise Of The Forgotten Objects Around Us, then why not try Foundation: The Art of Gratitude

The exhibition is open for visits at the Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery

.CentMagazine, London. Be Inspired: Get Involved

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