A NEW exhibition of screen-prints by Michael Craig-Martin opens in The Gallery exhibition space in Winchester Discovery Centre on Saturday.

Michael Craig-Martin is one of the most influential British artists of recent decades. Born in Dublin in 1941 and educated in the United States, the conceptual artist and painter studied at Yale University under Josef Albers. He returned to Europe in the mid-1960s and was a key figure in the first generation of British conceptual artists.

As a tutor at Goldsmith's College from 1974-1988 and Professor from 1994-2000, he had a significant influence on two generations of young British artists, teaching many Young British Artists including Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin.

Over the past decade, Craig-Martin’s work has embraced digital technology as a tool for working on ideas and compositions. He has used a computer to create an image-bank of everyday objects which have been used in large-scale wall drawings and acrylic paintings on canvas. He drew upon this resource to create this exhibition, Alphabet, which was then produced using traditional screen-printing methods.

Alphabet, on loan from the Hayward Gallery in London, features 26 screenprints in which the letters of the alphabet are overlaid with everyday objects such as a book, a glass of water or an umbrella.

In this series, created in his signature contemporary, conceptual style, Michael Craig-Martin plays with the idea of the ABC children’s primer. Instead of a direct 'A is for Apple, B is for Ball', the relationship between the letter and image is more ambiguous and requires more creative interpretation.

Councillor Keith Chapman, Hampshire County Council’s executive member for culture and recreation, said: “I am delighted that The Gallery will be hosting this free, interesting and vivid exhibition from one of Britain’s top artists.

“To be able to bring this high-quality exhibition from such an influential and renowned artist to Hampshire for local audiences to enjoy is a real privilege.”

The exhibition runs until February 10. For more information, visit hants.gov.uk/wdc.