Biography
Gottfried was born on September 15, 1925 in Glendale, Arizona, to Samuel Joy and Helen Young. She was the oldest of four children: Mariam, Helen and Samuel. As a child she showed a natural inclination for painting. While attending Stephens College for women in Columbia, Missouri, she met her husband, Mario Héctor Gottfried, a pilot of the U.S. Army Air Corps. and the two were married in January 1945, at a Methodist church in Glendale, Arizona. The couple lived in the United States before moving to Mexico City in 1945. They were married for more than 55 years, most of which were spent at their home inPictorial work
Gottfried's work was inspired by light, weather and natural beauty in various places, such as Arizona, Himalayas and, particularly, Mexico. Her production is vast and punctuated by a strong interest in mountain ranges, deserts and majestic Mexican volcanoes, like the Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl of Central Mexico. In the words of the painter: "Distance, light, color, and vivid effect of these elements on a flat surface with pigments, is a continuous and enjoyable challenge. I try to capture the atmosphere of the places that I consider beautiful: mountains and deserts of Mexico are themes that I explore through my painting; its rugged and difficult terrain, the beauty of the shapes and textures of the earth, changes in color and light, as well as shadows, are a great subject for painters (to) enjoy during their lifetime." Constant motifs in her paintings, such as Topilejo or the Valley of Mexico, are always shown in different seasons or perspectives. This inclination for exploring all the possibilities in landscapes, along with her many trips, whether by sea land or air, led the press to call her "painter of all seasons". During some years she was especially interested in making "skyscapes ... landscapes viewed from an airplane". She commonly used the "Ruben's technique" to paint, "a monochrome oil sketch is done on canvas while on location and back in the studio details can be filled in". Her work, which includes hundreds of paintings and large-scale pieces, is significant to many art critics because, besides showing interesting ecological changes, it presents "factual responses to the natural scene". In this regard, Toby Joysmith states: "They present no intellectual problems, nor concepts, nor searching. They are effortless to look at. Direct transcription, devoid of transformation, will always give the pure pleasure of recognition, as these paintings most certainly do."Example of representative works
* 1980: ''San Miguel de Allende'' * 1987: ''North of Cave Creek'' * 1987: ''Topilejo'' * 1989: ''Iztaccíhuatl summer'' * 1990: ''Urban sprawl'' * 1991: ''From Sierra Chincua'' * 1992: ''Popo & Izta'' * 1992: ''Ajusco'' * 1994: ''The Cliff'' * 1994: ''Road to Yautepec'' * 1994: ''Copper Canyon '' * 1994: ''Fly by Popo'' * 1994: ''Aerial of Anáhuac'' * 1994: ''Zitácuaro Valley'' * 1995: ''Valley of South Mexico II'' * 1995: ''The Superstitions, Arizona'' * 1995: ''Donato Guerra'' * 1995: ''Autumn Sonnet (Grand Topilejo)'' * 1997: ''Popocatépetl & Iztaccíhuatl'' * 1997: ''Read Home(Topilejo)'' * 1997: ''Red Cliff'' * 2000: ''Valle de Bravo lake'' * 2004: ''Pinacate'' * 2008: ''Nevado de Toluca'' * 2009: ''Xitle''See also
*References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gottfried, Martha Joy Mexican women artists 20th-century Mexican painters American emigrants to Mexico 20th-century Mexican women artists 1925 births 2014 deaths