Martinez - Artist's Statement

Painting is how I enjoy the visual world and how I share that enjoyment with others. I believe that the physical, material world is an achingly beautiful place. Anyone who is as passionate as I am about the crispness of a new flower, the velvety softness of an animal’s hide, or the weathered surface of a piece of sculpture in an old forgotten garden needs to find a way to express that passion throughout their lives. Ironically, in spite of this (or is it because of it?) I have a deep streak of melancholy. Because, as we all know, no matter how much we may love something, including, unfortunately, ourselves, nothing lasts forever. This sense of melancholy often seems to find a kind of balance with the intense joy I hope to express in my paintings.

Another consistent component of my work has been my life long study of art and culture. The past has always been very useful and inspiring to me. I don’t aim to be original; in fact, I don’t think originality is possible without a thorough knowledge of the past. To see the great chain of being and where I might connect to it has always been a much more interesting project to me. I believe the more technically skillful an artist becomes, the better they are able to tell their stories. The tools I use to tell my stories have been passed on to me by the Old Masters who these days seem not so old after all.

However, what really brings me in front of the canvas every day is my overwhelming need to paint what I see. In the movie Being There the main character says, “I like to watch.” Watching implies a kind of passivity that to me is equivalent to spiritual death. What I like to do is see. Seeing is an active, sometimes even aggressive act that attempts to attach meaning to every item within scope. I believe that the world is worth looking at; in fact, I believe that it demands our attention and respect. Awareness is a great gift, and I cannot imagine ignoring the drama that lives in all things touched by human or spiritual hands.