Figurative
Expressions
Mardi Gras Characters with Miami
Vibrancy
By Debra Kronowitz
The Steve Martin Studio features a variety of eclectic contemporary art.
During Art Basel/Miami Beach,
the gallery will be featuring the artist’s latest series,
Faces of
Adversity.
The oil and acrylic paintings are an
extension of combined elements from previous works of Martin’s dealing
with the building of non-representational portraits of characters
created from exaggerated features and bold blocks of color to express
emotion rather than realism. Representing a style known as figurative
expressionism, Martin’s paintings are created by arbitrarily laying down
pure bold color in broad and vigorous brush strokes.
“The primary, bold and exciting colors are pulled from my feelings of
the vibrant Miami culture I’m now experiencing; it’s an extension of the
excitement of starting over and living here now. The face and emotions
are drawn from my living in New Orleans. These elements are taken from
the larger-than-life fantasy of Mardi Gras floats that parade the
streets during Carnival and the fantastic characters that inhabit my
imagination as a result of exposure to that culture.
“The spirit and the sacred resolve that I see in the faces of the
survivors of Hurricane Katrina
— one of the worst human and economic tragedies to hit the United
States — have also found their way into these characters. These
paintings take on a blended quality of who I have become since
Katrina,” Martin said. |
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The starting point
for Martin’s paintings is informal studio sketches of his
model. These liberal exaggerations are drawn with complete
gestured freedom. He then utilizes the symbolic and
expressive values of pure color to portray in his paintings
the play of light so they will shimmer with brilliance. The
use of the exaggerated figure, built from thick texture and
intense electric color, allows each aspect of the
energy-charged canvas to play a vital role in the artwork
itself.
This allows Martin to more forcibly express the
essence, passion, and sensual beauty of the figure. The
observer is then able to perceive the tension created
between the familiar human form and the abstract use of
color so that the act of viewing itself becomes more
dynamic.
Martin’s
work is represented in corporate, private and museum
collections throughout the world. “I would like to always be
able to see the world with the naivety and wonder as seen
through a child’s eyes and from a child’s perspective. Some
artist spends their careers trying to capture what a child
can accomplish freely and instinctively. I feel that art
should uplift the soul and elevate the spirit and convey
wonder to the viewer,” he said.
Steve Martin Studio, 66 NE 40th St.,
305.576.9221,
www.stevemartinfineart.com
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