Greed 2008

Curator: Look at the wild clash of colors in Michael Craig-Martin’s "Greed," held here in the Tate Collections. Editor: It almost assaults the eyes, doesn’t it? A vibrant, uneasy feeling. Like a visual sugar rush. Curator: Craig-Martin, born in 1941, often uses ordinary objects, elevating them through bold color and line. Here, the word itself becomes the object. Editor: And the overlaid images... a handbag, a stepladder? It's like greed is plastered over everyday necessities. Are we meant to see consumerism devouring us? Curator: Precisely. He presents the way desires permeate our understanding of utility and need. Editor: Well, I’m certainly reflecting on my last online purchase. It makes you question what truly sits beneath our wants. Curator: Indeed. "Greed" invites a critical examination of our relationship to material culture.