In the 1950s, artists like Jackson Pollock and Franz Kline elevated the gesture to the position of the protagonist in abstract expressionism. In the 21st century, Donald Martiny advances that idea considerably further by freeing the gesture of gestural abstraction from the substrate which, heretofore, provided the context that brought gesture to life.
Donald Martiny's new book "Monumental Gestures" is now available
Donald's new book DONALD MARTINY: Monumental Gestures is available from the Ackland Museum Store and contains essays by Carter Ratcliff, Art Critic, Writer & Poet; Charles A. Shepard III, Executive Director of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art; Deborah Swallow, Marit Rausing Director of the Courtauld; Lawrence J. Wheeler, Director of the North Carolina Museum of Art. Or you can download it by clicking here.
We are loving this image of Donald!
A behind the scenes approach to contemporary painting
What are you working on in your studio right now?
I recently received a commission to make paintings for the lobby of a new building in mid-town Manhattan by the Durst Organization. I am also preparing for a solo show of my work that will be in the lobby of the Conde Nast building at 4 West Times Square in New York from November 2013 to January 2014.
Can you describe your working routine?
I am usually in the studio between 8:30 and 9AM and work until around 7:30 PM. I work seven days a week. There is no set routine other than that. One day may be spent working on paintings, while the next day may be spent building shipping creates and ordering materials.
Can you describe your studio space and how, if at all, that affects your work?
I have had many different kinds of spaces. The large works that were exhibited last January at George Lawson Gallery, LA were all made on the cement floor of a converted tobacco factory in Durham. That space was extremely tight and challenging to move around in. I had a wonderful large space in Philadelphia when I lived there. I could leave things up on the wall to consider over a period of time. My current studio space is the main part of the house. It consists of two large rooms, an office and a workshop. The painting studio has an abundance of natural light and big double doors to move large works in and out. In the morning and evening hours I often see deer, eagles and owls. These natural surroundings provide a stimulus for my work. I am certainly affected and inspired by the movement, rhythm, time, changing light, color, and mood.
Tell me about your process, where things begin, how they evolve etc.
My process has evolved quite a bit. When I first considered the idea of working freely with forms in my paintings, I tried to use epoxy resins. I had experience working with fiberglass and resins from when I built boats as a summer job while I was in school near Lake Michigan. But the resins didn’t work. The paintings were prohibitively heavy and brittle and I couldn’t control the color. Additionally, the materials were hazardous. I nearly set my studio on fire once when I put too much catalyst (MEK) into the mixture. In terms of process, I draw and sketch all the time. I am constantly experimenting with gestures and forms, relationships and color. I usually make small paintings first. I think of them as finished paintings but they also inform the larger works. My large paintings are a huge investment in time, effort and materials. Some of them consist of 10 to15 gallons of paint. One part of my studio is set up much like an arena. I paint on the floor walking around the work. I often make brushes out of large floor mops or brooms. The act of painting is much like a dance. While creating a large painting, I am stretched to the limits of my physicality. The act of painting records my reach at a specific time and place. I suppose one could say in this way that my paintings are self-portraits.
What are you having the most trouble resolving?
I would like to spend more time making paintings and less time dealing with the business aspects of running a busy studio e.g., making schedules, shipping, building boxes, ordering materials, etc.
Do you experiment with different materials a lot or do you prefer to work within certain parameters?
I truly enjoy working with traditional oil painting methods but once my concept or idea of what a painting could be changed, my materials had to change too. I’ve spent several years talking with chemists all over the world and am on a first name basis with virtually every art materials manufacturer in trying to perfect my paint and process. I can finally say that I am happy with the materials I am using now. They are safe, odorless, water based, light-weight, and I can do just about anything I want in terms of painting. Because I mix micro bubbles into my paint I suppose one could say I am using nanotechnology in my painting process.
What does the future hold for this work?
The conceptual area I am working in opens up so many possibilities in painting. I haven’t even scratched the surface. I have numerous sketches and prototypes of new directions I am interested to explore. Each direction could keep me busy for years.
Donald Martiny interviewed by Matt Schaefer
MS: So Donald, where was your last show?
DM: I am showing currently in LA at the George Lawson Gallery. Prior to that I showed at the Marlboro Gallery at Prince George Community College near Washington DC.
MS: What are these made of?
DM: They are a polymer mix and dispersed pigment.
MS: How did you arrive at this point? What was the "eureka" moment"?
DM: I was struggling with my work. I made a lot of de Kooning look-a-likes but got frustrated with the structure. I would make grand gestures and then went back and tried to fix the edges and corners. One day I just got rid of the ground (canvass). It took a while to figure out what I had done. It freed the gesture to be what ever it wanted to be. I think Ellsworth Kelly and Frank Stella were in the back of my mind.
MS: Who else art historically were big influences?
DM: I look at painting and sculpture a lot. I used to travel quite a bit and whenever I did I always made time to visit museums and galleries. I am a big fan of Velazquez. I also looked a lot at the oil sketches by Rubens at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Obviously I also admire de Kooning, Lynda Benglis Ellsworth Kelly and Frank Stella, among others.
MS: So are these representations of actual markings in paint?
DM: No, absolutely not. They are my own honest gestures. I am not representing the gestures of other artists.
MS: Let me rephrase. Do you build these after smaller scale models?
DM: I usually begin by making many small studies on paper. Then I make small works based on the sketches. These are finished works but they also work as maquettes or prototypes for larger works. When I work large I have a basic idea of color, feeling and shape but they never end up finally exactly as I had planned.
MS: Pretend you are talking to someone who has no idea about how to understand abstraction. In a few sentences, how would you guide them into understanding your work?
DM: I simply want to create my own images rather than use existing images that may have baggage. I want the images to speak for themselves rather than paint an actor. I know I can paint a figure or landscape that feels a certain way. But why not be more direct. Rather than use the landscape, let the painting itself evoke the feeling or experience.
Prototypes and Studies
The focus of my inquiry as a painter is the gesture
Many of the abstract expressionists of the 1950s, the second generation abstractionists in particular, adopted an attitude of an all over attack, attempting to fill the canvas with energy. They made big expansive gestures on the canvas but then ran into problems, particularly in the corners. In painting and energy terms, they were compromised by the "fixing-up" of all the loose gestures-as their gestural arcs were limited by the boundaries of the rectangular suport or ground upon which they played out.
Later, artists like Frank Stella, Sam Gilliam, Elizabeth Murray and Ellsworth Kelly addressed this issue each in their own way; generally by shaping the canvas to fit their painting. Though I am inspired and intrigued by these ideas, my interest lies in freeing the gesture from the traditional rectangular shaped support and exploring its potential. Rather than having a painting full of gestures, the painting itself becomes the gesture.
My process is to start out small, developing prototypes and studies. I then translate the most successful pieces into full sized works. It is my belief that the larger scale invites the viewer inside the work. I create the works on the floor, moving around them. I often use brooms for brushes. The paint is a mixture of polyepoxide, polyamine and raw pigment. Sometimes I add micro bubbles to make them lighter. As a veteran oil painter, I enjoy the idea that in this exploration I am using materials employing nanotechnology and brooms.