Mystery, Feeling, Internet

Originally trained as a photographer, Martinez never felt the medium met her desire to control
perspective, scale and light. Once she transitioned to painting, she found that an image could
be whatever she wanted it to be, and began to create dreamlike scenes that celebrate comfort,
beauty and humor via vibrant colors, uncomplicated forms, and easily recognizable subject
matter.
Martinez’ work embraces flatness and simplicity. Her painterly eye reduces a scene down to a
critical selection of subjects, and then reduces those subjects down to their most basic forms,
lines and colors. Pulling imagery from pop-culture, art history, and nature, Martinez’ content is
typically an amalgamation of easily recognizable symbols—Bart Simpson’s head floats
alongside a figure that is reminiscent of a Matisse dancer, a Nike “swoosh” is situated alongside
a series of decorative objects such as flowers, leaves or fruit. And when Martinez paints people
they are almost always looking extremely relaxed, lounging comfortably, or engaged in a leisure
activity. Usually the works have descriptive titles like, When you are sad but you still want to
have fun, Her Shoulder is a Mountain, or Drake Eating a Salad. As the titles imply, the works
are loosely narrative, but always feel a little chimerical, like something out of a dream.
Bold and colorful Martinez’ work is driven by intent, reconciling memory, reality and dreams into
scenes that are a little bit surreal and a little bit funny. The work indulges color and mood, and is
direct while maintaining a vibe that is charmingly nonchalant.