Artist of the Month May 2010

Marty Martinez

South San Francisco, CA

I was born in 1950 in San Francisco, CA and started drawing at the age of six.  I attended John O’Connell Technical Institute in San Francisco, CA and majored in Commercial Art.  I currently reside in South San Francisco and work out of the Greenhouse Art Studios.

My art career started to be acknowledged in 1975 when I entered a logo contest for what was called Marine World Africa USA, which is now Six Flags, through Creature Features, hosted by Bob Wilkins, KTVU, Channel 2, where I won first place, and saw later how my design influenced their final logo.  

How and when did you start creating art?

I started drawing in elementary school creating artworks like cartoons, airplanes at war, and other subjects a kid likes to draw.

What media and genres do you work in?

I started using ink pen and pencil and progressed to watercolor paint, watercolor pencil, acrylic, oil, and fluorescent paints.

Who or what are your influences?

My artwork has been influenced by the 1960’s psychedelic era.  At a young age, my home away from home was the Haight Ashbury.  I frequented the Straight Theatre, Avalon, Fillmore, Winterland, and The Great Highway.  The Avalon had a section where one could draw on the floor under black lights using florescent chalk – very cool!  Finding out later how the florescent chalk influenced the Shapeshifters florescent acrylics today.

(ShapeShifters Series No.6) - The Shapeshifters Series is based on Native American folklore. Being part Pueblo Indian myself, I’ve taken my positive energy within and converted it to the Shapeshifters Series – an object transforming into a different object.  Native American culture speaks of Thunderbirds changing into human form.  It's not only in Native American culture; other cultures have other types of shapeshifting. One example in real life is a Mimic Octopus. It has the ability to transform itself into various fish or even rock formations. In the shapeshifters series, I've adapted that concept.

Describe your creative process?

As an artist, I'm attempting an art form in acrylic, to create my interpretation of the shapeshifter. The shapes, colors, and designs in the artpiece can be interpreted as different formations, resulting in a shapeshift. End result; each work, a combination of color, design, and images, allows the viewer to share the same.

An added feature of the Shapeshifters Series, is the use of fluorescent acrylic, exposing the artwork to a black light, you will see the artwork transform into another image. Artworks executed using artists’ trowels, palette knives, polybrushes, and using slight brushing, and a slashing motion blending colors, using large amounts of acrylic mixed with a drying retardant medium.  

What are you working on currently?

My most current work just completed is a front cover artwork for submission for Lane Von Herzen’s book The Unfastened Heart.

What are your near/long term goals as an artist?

I’ve never had a solo exhibit, and being a born and raised artist out of the San Francisco Bay Area, I would love to exhibit at the MOMA.

Where can people view/purchase your work (gallery, website, etc)?

Seven of the Shapeshifters Series now on exhibit, and for sale, at the Serenity Spring 2010 at UCSF Center for Reproductive Health, in San Francisco, CA.  Exhibit runs from April 13, 2010 through July 13, 2010.  A multiple artist exhibit curated by Matt McKinley.  Other ways to view more of my artworks is artworksbymarty.com , artromgallery.com , and artslant.com.