America Martin (born 1980) is an American painter and sculptor. Referring to herself as a painting
anthropologist
An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and ...
, Martin's primary subject is the human form. Her style mixes abstract and
indigenous motifs and has been compared to the mid-century masters. She credits her
Colombian roots for her aesthetic and tastes. Martin is represented and collected internationally.
Family and early life
America was born in
Los Angeles in 1980 to a family of artists. Her uncle is painter
Knox Martin
Knox Martin (February 12, 1923 – May 15, 2022) was an American painter, sculptor, and muralist.
Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, he studied at the Art Students League of New York from 1946 until 1950. He was one of the leading members of the N ...
; her father is artist, matador, and author Ernest J. T. Martin; her mother is an academic, and her siblings all went on to pursue careers in the arts. She began drawing at age nine after discovering the work of
Vincent van Gogh. Shortly thereafter, she began an eight-year apprenticeship with Vernon Wilson, a professor at the
ArtCenter College of Design
Art Center College of Design (stylized as ArtCenter College of Design) is a private art college in Pasadena, California.
History
ArtCenter College of Design was founded in 1930 in downtown Los Angeles as the Art Center School.
In 1935, Fred ...
in
Pasadena
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
Its ...
. Martin also worked briefly as an actress, notably as Patsy in
Disney's ''
The Rocketeer'', while attending
Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences in
Santa Monica,
California.
Fine art
Martin has worked in a variety of media, including painting, drawing and sculpting in steel and aluminum. She is best known for her large oil and acrylic nude paintings, and is acclaimed for her command of line and color. Of her nudes, art critic Stacy Davies wrote, “Martin’s women are hyper-real… They are solid, immovable, inerasable; they are present. They cannot be dominated, but not because they are angry or violent or ugly, but because they are stoic and centered and complete.”
In addition to her female nudes, Martin's subjects include jazz musicians, boxers, Native Americans, street scenes, landscapes and still lives.
In terms of process, Martin uses her whole body when painting, using the length of her arms to control the strokes. Her move to a new studio in Silverlake in 2009 allowed her to experiment with a variety of new media. It has and continues to act as a venue to host a variety of cultural events that support artist and community. She traditionally works in collections- painting and drawing a unique body of work distinct to the location of the exhibition.
Career
Martin has been shown and collected internationally. In 2002, she had her first solo show in
Beverly Hills in 2002, and has since been exhibited in solo and group shows. In 2009, she received a residency with the
Walter Anderson Museum of Art
The Walter Anderson Museum of Art (WAMA) is located in Ocean Springs, Mississippi on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. WAMA is dedicated to the work of Walter Inglis Anderson (1903–1965), whose depictions of coastal plants, animals, landscapes, and pe ...
, with a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission. She has been represented in
Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
,
Laguna Beach, Los Angeles,
New Jersey,
New York City,
Ontario, Santa Barbara,
Taos
Taos or TAOS may refer to:
Places
* Taos, Missouri, a city in Cole County, Missouri, United States
* Taos County, New Mexico, United States
** Taos, New Mexico, a city, the county seat of Taos County, New Mexico
*** Taos art colony, an art colo ...
and
Maine. Since 2017, her work has been displayed in American embassies as a part of the
US State Department's Art In Embassies (AIE) program.
Publications
Martin's first book ''Insouciance'' was published in 2010 and features paintings and drawings from her early career. Her second book,''Yes'', features work from 2009 to 2012. Both are published by
Snail Press Publications
Snail Press Publications is an independent publishing company based in Los Angeles that specializes in limited edition fine art books, poetry and literature.
Founded in 2010 by Zelda Nader.
In 2010, the first publication was a large hardcover ...
.
References
External links
America Martin WebsiteAmerica Martin at the Joanne Artman Gallery America Martin at Carver Hill GalleryAmerica Martin at Mark GalleryAmerica Martin TumblrSnail Press Publications
Selected press
Los Angeles I'm Yours - A Life In Painting: An Interview With America Martin - Oct 2013Camden Herald - “America’s take on Maine” Aug 2013Maine Today - “Work, Dignity, and Beauty: Q&A with America Martin” Aug 2013TheCultCollective.com - “Cult Obsessed: America Martin” July 2013Racked LA - “Dan Deutsch Optical Taps Top LA Artisans for New Campaign” May 2013Los Angeles Confidential - “Real LA Beauties” May 2013The Sche Report - “Studio Visit with Artist America Martin” Aug 2012Culture Map Austin - “Artist America Martin returns to Austin..." May 2012OC Weekly - “America Martin Accepts No Substitutes” March 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, America
1980 births
Living people
American women painters
American women sculptors
21st-century American women artists