Alphabet by Michael Craig-Martin

About

Michael Craig-Martin is one of the most influential British artists of recent decades. He was a key figure for the YBA generation of artists, many of whom he taught in his capacity as Professor at Goldsmiths College of Art. In Alphabet he has produced 26 screenprints in which the letters of the alphabet are overlaid with everyday objects such as a book, a glass of water or an umbrella. Throughout his career, Craig-Martin has explored the iconography of everyday and designer objects. In alphabet, visually arresting images are set against a background of vivid monochrome colours and overlaid with a single letter. In this series, created in his signature style, Craig-Martin plays with the idea of the ABC children's primer. Instead of a direct 'A is for Apple', 'B is for Ball', the relationship between the letter and the image is more ambiguous and requires some guesswork; 'C' shows a knife, perhaps representing the word 'cut'. This series of 26 screen prints was published by the Alan Cristea Gallery in 2007.