Michael Craig-Martin: Venetian Blind Studies, 1988-1989

From the late 1960’s to the late 1970’s, Michael Craig-Martin’s work was based on commonplace physical objects, either constructed or found by the artist. He became intrigued that on entering the context of art, all found objects seemed to sacrifice one thing – their defining function. Craig-Martin was determined to try to make work that maintained the functionality of the objects, to interfere with their normal existence as little as possible. He felt that the role of the viewer in the completion of such works was both enhanced and made more explicit.

From 1978, he shifted his work entirely away from actual objects to the creation and use of images of objects. Through this work, he sought to explore the nature and function of images. Working entirely in two dimensions led Craig-Martin naturally to think about painting. If the early works with readymade objects were in reference to ideas about sculpture, the venetian blind works were done in reference to painting. He sought to keep the works with venetian blinds as true to themselves as possible. Like paintings, these pieces are flat, on the wall, hide but allow ‘windows on the world’, and imply the centrality of light, space, and color. To emphasize the possibility of viewer interaction, the artist left, attached to the blinds, the operating rods so the blinds could be opened and closed.