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Still Life

Still life paintings have always been an important part of Martinez 's work. His primary influences are the 17th century Dutch and Spanish still life painters like Pieter Claesz and Juan Sanchez Cotan, but Martinez has developed a unique blend of emotionalism and technical mastery that mark a style all his own. There is no item in these paintings that is not being scrutinized by the artist. From the disparate objects themselves (grapes, ancient glass, turban squash and skulls the latter in the same painting) to the surfaces on which they reside, Martinez is interested in the minute details of their texture, color and shape. But most importantly, he is interested in the drama inherent in the relationship these objects have to each other. Often, a sense of melancholy pervades the painting; e.g., a flower in its glorious, delicately beautiful prime is standing before a crumbling wall - a reminder of the transient nature of life.