Eddie Martinez
“I started with portraits and landscapes and still lifes, because I thought that’s what painting was supposed to be. I never really understood the appeal of Pollock’s drip paintings. It’s his earlier work, when he was deep into Picasso — that’s the stuff that moves me. Eventually, I found myself getting more interested in abstraction.”
Interview by Bill Powers, Art News, January 2016.
Eddie Martinez was born in 1977 in Groton, Connecticut. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn. His work draws inspiration from the great movements in painting such as surrealism or abstract expressionism, which he then filters through his personal vision influenced by popular culture, cartoons and sport.
His works oscillate between abstraction and representation. He develops a very personal sense of iconography, combining elements of figurative narrative with completely abstract forms of expression. The result is an easily identifiable style, particularly thanks to his strong and energetic use of colour. The colours are combined almost aggressively in Martinez’s composition to create vibrant contrasts. Martinez uses an array of different techniques, mixing oil painting, aquarelle, recovered materials, spray painting and collage.
It is the very personal use of colour that will gain Eddie Martinez international recognition. His works are represented in particular in the Saatchi Gallery in London or in the Garage Centre for Contemporary Culture in Moscow.
“I started with portraits and landscapes and still lifes, because I thought that’s what painting was supposed to be. I never really understood the appeal of Pollock’s drip paintings. It’s his earlier work, when he was deep into Picasso — that’s the stuff that moves me. Eventually, I found myself getting more interested in abstraction.”
Interview by Bill Powers, Art News, January 2016.
Eddie Martinez est né en 1977 à Groton dans le Connecticut. Actuellement, il vit et travaille à Brooklyn. Son travail s’inspire des grands courants de la peinture tels que le surréalisme ou l’expressionisme abstrait qu’il passe ensuite au filtre de sa vision personnelle influencée par la culture populaire, les cartoons ou encore le sport.
Ses œuvres oscillent entre abstraction et représentation. Il développe un sens très personnel de l’iconographie, associant des éléments de narration figuratifs à d’autres complètement abstraits. Il en résulte un style aisément identifiable notamment grâce à son exploitation forte et énergique de la couleur. Les couleurs s’associent presque avec agressivité dans les compostions de Martinez pour créer des contrastes vibrants. Les techniques sont elles aussi multiples, mêlant peinture à l’huile, aquarelle, matériaux de récupération, peinture aérosol et collage.
C’est l’exploitation très personnelle de la couleur qui va valoir à Eddie Martinez une reconnaissance internationale. Ses œuvres ont notamment été présentées à la Saatchi Gallery à Londres ou encore au Garage Center for Contemporary Culture de Moscou.
“I started with portraits and landscapes and still lifes, because I thought that’s what painting was supposed to be. I never really understood the appeal of Pollock’s drip paintings. It’s his earlier work, when he was deep into Picasso — that’s the stuff that moves me. Eventually, I found myself getting more interested in abstraction.”
Interview by Bill Powers, Art News, January 2016.
Eddie Martinez is in 1977 geboren in Groton, Connecticut. Hij woont en werkt in Brooklyn. Zijn werk is geïnspireerd op grote stromingen in de schilderkunst zoals het surrealisme en het abstract expressionisme. Daar past hij zijn eigen persoonlijke filter op toe, met elementen uit de popcultuur, cartoons en sport.
Zijn werk houdt het midden tussen abstractie en representatie. Zijn iconografie is uiterst persoonlijk van aard. Er komen figuratieve, narratieve elementen in terug, maar ook volledig abstracte vormen van expressie. Het resultaat is een zeer herkenbare stijl, waarbij gebruik wordt gemaakt van krachtige, energieke kleuren. Die kleuren combineren zich op haast agressieve wijze met elkaar, waardoor aansprekende contrasten ontstaan. Martinez maakt gebruik van tal van technieken: olieverf, aquarel, gerecycleerde materialen, spuitbusverf, collage …
Zijn uiterst persoonlijke kleurgebruik heeft Eddie Martinez internationale erkenning opgeleverd. Zijn werk is onder meer te zien geweest in de Saatchi Gallery in Londen en het Garage Center for Contemporary Culture in Moskou.
