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TE2/1977/5

Michael Craig-Martin – Exhibition Installation 1977 (Part 4)

Michael Craig-Martin RA is a contemporary conceptual artist and painter. He is noted for his fostering of the Young British Artists, many of whom he taught, and for his conceptual artwork, An Oak Tree. He is Emeritus Professor of Fine Art at Goldsmiths. Jal Milroy recalls the flooding in the main gallery during the installation period of this exhibition. All attempts to stem the water failed until Milroy had the idea to adopt a strategy similar to one of the main pieces on display by Craig-Martin in which four buckets are suspended on floating base. Milroy placed a bucket on a platform that could be hoisted up into the ceiling where it collected the water and could later be lowered and emptied.

Date Recorded: 1977

Length: 32 min, 00 sec

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Additional Information

Exhibition installation. Begins with a cut, pan and zoom in on the centre of an elongated gallery space. A handheld camera reveals 2 men engaged in the construction of parts of an exhibition. There are sounds of construction, conversation, and pipe music as the camera is carried around the space. There is a focus on the finalising of the fixtures, with some shots of the men working on them, observing their work in contemplation. At 25 min, 25 sec, there is a black out in picture, a brief snippet of conversation, and a sound drop before the camera resumes panning the gallery space. The next section of the film appears to be of the exhibition opening or preview. Groups of well-dressed people begin to enter the exhibition space. Those standing nearest the camera can be heard remarking on the novelties of the installation. Ends on the image of a woman in a long coat, turning around as the camera zooms out. A wave in tracking cuts the footage.