JASON MARTIN: Oceania    Apr 17 - May 17, 2008

In this new series, Martin explores a broad emotional field within a focused range of scale and palette. Painting with oils that he applies to square aluminum panels, Martin creates works that bear a close relationship in scale to the human body [his panels measure 68 1/8 x 68 1/8 inches (173 x 173 cm) and 76 3/4 x 76 3/4 inches (195 cm x 195 cm)]. Martin applies paint with brushes that he has specially adapted for his practice, and that give him full control over the surface when he works. Indeed, his application of paint onto surface is extremely physical, and necessitates the use of his entire body in a highly choreographed practice. As such, each painting is a record of the movement of the artist's body.

Body, mind, idea and act all coerce to result in what I can only hope offers the viewer a poetic exchange.
- Jason Martin

The paintings range in color from deep, rich purple, to iridescent shades of blue and turquoise. The palette is complex, derived from the combination of the oils interacting with the supporting panels - the colors of which reveal themselves through the striations of paint. Paint and surface fuse and break apart, and the viewer experiences a visual shift as her body moves before the panels and light interacts with the painting surface. As such, the colored, reflective ground provides a depth of field,with implied space activated through the applied oil paint. While this produces an emotional identity in the work, there is an ambiguous relationship to fixed meaning.

Martin has grouped this new series of work under the title Oceania - the name given to the lands of the central and south Pacific. The artist's hope is that these paintings offer “a sojurn into a belated naturalism, a Rousseau fantasy.” Indeed, Martin welcomes figurative association in his paintings such as the illusion of natural fauna (Lucia, 2007); organic forms in landscape (Sweet, 2007); and animals (Adler, 2007 and Fin, 2007). Other works, such as Deep, 2007, and Primavera, 2007, move away from such associations to explore infinite spaces or voids. However, there is no fixed meaning to any of the works - while a title might offer a particular opening to a painting, Martin encourages a wide range of interpretations.

Born in Jersey, Channel Isles, Jason Martin studied at the Chelsea School of Art, and Goldsmiths' College, University of London. Martin received early acclaim for his paintings, with representation in the exhibition “Wonderful Life” at Lisson Gallery, London, in 1993 - the year of his graduation from Goldsmiths'. Martin has been honored with solo museum shows at Stadtische Galerie, Nordhorn, Germany in 1998; CAC Málaga, Spain in 2005 and 2008; Gutersloh Kunstverein, Germany (traveled to Moenchehaus Museum) in 2007/2008, and British Council 28th São Paulo Biennalle in 2008.

Martin's paintings have been included in many landmark exhibitions, including “Sensation: Young British Artists from the Saatchi Collection,” in 1997 at the Royal Academy, London (traveled to Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin, and Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York); “post-hypnotic,” in 1999 at University Galleries, Normal, Illinois (traveled to the McKinney Avenue Contemporary, Dallas; the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati; the Atlanta College of Art Gallery; the Chicago Cultural Center; the Tweed Museum, University of Minnesota, Duluth); and “Monochrome” at Museo de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, in 2004, and in 2005 at the 14th Rome Quadriennale, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome. Martin's work may be found in public and private collections throughout the world, including Stadtische Galerie, Nordhorn, Germany; Museum of Modern Art, La Spezia, Italy; Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, Vienna, Austria; IVAM, Valencia, Spain; Alright Knox Gallery, Buffalo, New York; Denver Art Museum; and Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.

Concurrently on view in the second floor open-air Skyroom, L.A. Louver presents a new bronze sculpture by Peter Shelton entitled dogstar, 2007.

For further information and visuals please contact Elizabeth East, L.A. Louver, 45 North Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291 telephone 310-822-4955; fax 310-821-7529; e-mail elizabeth@lalouver. com; www.lalouver.com.

L.A. Louver is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Validated parking available.