Marty Baptist (born 1975 in

Queensland, Australia ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

) is a

contemporary artist Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic com ...

. His work has been exhibited internationally.

Career

Baptist grew up skateboarding and began painting at an early age, but didn’t pursue it until he had a skateboard injury. He then studied visual art at Morningside College of Art in

. He moved to Sydney, Australia to exhibit his work and then later moved to New Zealand for a few years where he worked on his craft. On a commercial level he has collaborated with

Oakley, Inc. Oakley, Inc., based in Lake Forest, California, is an American company operating as an independent subsidiary of Luxottica . The company designs, develops and manufactures sports performance equipment and lifestyle pieces including sunglasses, ...

and has been commissioned to work on such labels as Cliché skateboards and

Vans Shoes Vans is an American manufacturer of skateboarding shoes and related apparel, established in Anaheim, California, and owned by VF Corporation. The company also sponsors surf, snowboarding, BMX, and motocross teams. From 1996 to 2019, the comp ...

. In 2002 early in his career he was asked to exhibit with Space Invader and

Lance Mountain Robert Lance Mountain (born June 13, 1964) is a professional skateboarder and artist who was one of the prominent skateboarders throughout the 1980s, primarily due to his involvement with the Bones Brigade. As of August 2017, Mountain continues ...

in which huge light boxes where placed on the walls of the famous Hosier Lane in Melbourne Australia. His zine "Shadows of the mess you made" is held in the

National Library of Australia The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...

. In 2015 Baptist exhibited at Mountain Sounds Festival. and at the old Starland Dairy. Baptist is living back in Sydney and currently working from his North Sydney studio.

Work

His paintings are a mix of astute observations and out loud thoughts. The work has a dark sense of humour that he matches off against the everyday. His imagery ranges from oblique pop culture references to loose figurative observations. Baptist’s use of text gives the work another dimension of overture often at times making it hard to understand whether his remarks are made honestly or in jest. Baptist’s work questions how we live our daily lives. Often stating the obvious he creates an air of uncertainty around the simplest of things. Often described by his peers as “the artist’s, artist’.

References

External links

Marty Baptist Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baptist, Marty 1975 births Living people Australian contemporary artists Australian painters