Crackberry: Work-Life Boundaries

About this work

Before the iPhone was a twinkle in Steve Jobs’ turtleneck, there was this—the Blackberry. The pocket-sized brick of buttons that promised productivity, prestige, and a sudden inability to escape your boss after 5pm. It wasn’t just a phone; it was a leash dressed as luxury.

The screen in this painting tells the story plainly: “Say goodbye to ANY work-life boundaries.” And truly, many of us did. The Blackberry era wasn’t about having the world at your fingertips; it was about your inbox sinking its claws into you, 24/7. Midnight emails, Sunday replies, the creeping suspicion that if you didn’t answer in under three minutes, your career might combust. No wonder the nickname became “CrackBerry.”
Look closer: the date on the screen is January 9th, 2007 at 9:41am — the exact moment the iPhone was unveiled to the world. This canvas freezes Blackberry at its zenith, while hinting at its rapid fall into obsolescence. A handheld empire dethroned by touchscreens and apps, its keyboard reduced to nostalgia.

The 897 unread emails on the icon? Consider it the digital equivalent of purgatory. Each one a tiny reminder of how technology can shift from servant to master with alarming ease.

At its heart, this painting is a commentary on the strange lifecycle of technology: first it dazzles us, then it devours us, and finally, it disappears into the drawer of forgotten chargers. Like a dinosaur in a suit, it’s both mighty and pitiful.

So here it is—Blackberry’s obituary in oil paint. A layered relic of ambition, addiction, and obsolescence. Part cautionary tale, part love letter to the gadgets that once ruled our lives, and proof that sometimes progress doesn’t mean moving forward—it just means swapping keyboards for glass screens and pretending that’s better.

Painting details

Dimensions:
Unframed: 60cm (W) x 80cm (H)
Framed: 70cm (W) x 90cm (H) x 4cm (D)

Medium: 
Oil on canvas. Unique 1/1

Year: 
2025

Authentication: 
Signed on verso 

Certificate of Authenticity:
Arrives with a (disk) certificate of authenticity.