Painted Bird

The title of this painting is taken from Jerzy Kosinski’s novel of the same name. In the novel, one of the characters speaks of the phenomena that occurs when a bird is captured, painted bright colors and let loose back into its flock. The other birds will not accept the now brightly colored bird and will attack and kill it. Martinez is addressing the issue of how an artist is viewed in the world and what is necessary for his survival. The self-portrait of the artist as a young man is in the center. He is melancholic, soulful, and impossibly pale. He is surrounded by inanimate and animate symbols. The bowl is Ming and symbolizes the openness and vulnerary required of an artist. The iron samurai helmet has the surreal decorative attachments of a Buddhist priest’s hat and a rolled religious scroll that speaks of the artist’s subsequent need for protection, both physically and spiritually. The two figures in the background act as both guardian and muse. Both are androgynous, but their ambiguity implies a kind of strength as opposed to weakness - they complement each other perfectly. One is in shadow, yet looks directly at the viewer through shaded eyes, the other has a bolder stance, but the eyes are averted. Only the artist stares directly and openly at the viewer.