The Extraordinary In The Ordinary

Since his first solo exhibition in London in 1969, Michael Craig-Martin’s art has been showcased in the largest and most exclusive galleries and museums the world has to offer. Displayed at the likes of Centre Pompidou and MoMA, Craig-Martin’s work has been appraised and surveyed by thousands — art enthusiasts and not. A few days ago, I attended his exhibit at the Seoul Arts Center, never having seen his work or even heard of his name prior.

Giving little thought to how damnable not knowing who Michael Craig-Martin must be to the art world, I am grateful for being an art dunce because it allows me to examine and appreciate the work of renowned artists with objectivity and a fresh pair of eyes.

Gazing at Craig-Martin’s minimalist and colorful renderings of quotidian objects, I felt a (strange) sense of ease. The subjects of his paintings were objects that I knew all too well — iPhone, light bulb, shoe, violin, headphones, credit card — and could identify as such within microseconds. The mundanity of the objects bred a sense of familiarity. The clarity of the depiction of these objects drew a sense of self-satisfaction. I found Craig-Martin’s artistic style and choice of subject to elicit strongly these two pleasurable feelings, and it is, for this reason,his work must often be described as “pleasant to the eye” or “a joy to look at”.

Craig-Martin’s use of color is what I think keeps his pieces afloat, above the waves of prosaicness that is (no offense). Splashes of magenta, teal, and neon green on objects that are in reality much more muted in color are what make a Craig-Martin painting interesting to look at. For Craig-Martin, color seems to be the counter-intuitive force that gives his pieces a can’t-take-your-eyes-off quality.

In my eyes, Craig-Martin’s art is neither “sexy” nor “show-stopping”. I don’t think it’s supposed to be. The appeal of his work is its playful and unassuming tone. It took a while (spending some time in the gallery and looking at paintings multiple times) for me to appreciate that, but when I did I was moved by his vision of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.