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Michael Craig-Martin  born 1941

Michael Craig-Martin An Oak Tree 1973
© Michael Craig-Martin
An Oak Tree  1973

Glass, water, shelf and printed text
sculpture

Lent from a private collection 2000

L02262

While this appears to be a glass of water on a shelf, the artist states that it is in fact an oak tree. Craig-Martin’s assertion addresses fundamental questions about what we understand to be art and our faith in the power of the artist. The work can be seen as an exploration of Marcel Duchamp’s declaration that any existing object can be declared a work of art. In his accompanying text, Craig-Martin provides the questions as well as the answers, allowing the simultaneous expression of scepticism and belief regarding the transformative power of art.

 (From the display caption April 2005)