Apple Powerbook G4 17''

In the 1990s, Craig-Martin purchased his first computer, an Apple Mac, which radically altered his way of working. He recalled, 'I could scan all the separate images that I wanted to assemble on to the computer, which was unbelievably liberating for me. My work process was tediously slow in the past, and the implications of making even the smallest change were immense, but now I can make 1,000 changes and think nothing of doing 100 drawings' (The Guardian, interview with Dale Berning, 20 September 2009).

The 17-inch Powerbook G4 was introduced by Apple in January 2003, and it was promoted as the world's first 17-inch notebook computer. Painted in 2003, Craig-Martin deliberately chose this innovatory and ultra-modern computer as his subject matter for the present work, an object which is so fundamental to his practice. However he knows that this computer, by the very nature of technology, will quickly and inevitably be outmoded, superseded by a new model. Craig-Martin is perhaps making a comment on the transience of more than just the computer.

Painted on a canvas of over two square metres, this exaggerated and oversized depiction of the Powerbook has a forceful impact on the viewer. This is reinforced by Craig-Martin's use of pure pigment. The individual keys on the computer's keyboard playfully dazzle with undiluted colour, which seem to emit a light that is echoed in the computer screen. 'My fundamental palette is very intense, with each colour brought to its highest level of intensity - there isn't a higher level once you've reached a cadmium yellow light' (The Guardian, interview with Dale Berning, 20 September 2009).