A Framing Story
Framing the Anthropological
Abstraction of America Martin
Alison Pierz • June 6, 2017
By
A recent trip to the Art New York art fair during Frieze week culminated in a meeting with gallery director JoAnne Artman of JoAnne Artman Gallery. Originally based on the west coast, Ms. Artman has recently opened a space in Chelsea. We were fortunate to be given the chance to collaborate with the Frames and Stretchers team on a project for her.
America Martin's painting of abstract mermaid figures in the collector's home
The work, a very large painting, "Mermaids on the Rocks and Birds in Sky" by LA based artist America Martin, was going from the gallery to a collector's home. The art measured 54" x 136". Due to the scale of the piece - which made it impossible to maneuver through most halls and doorways - all work had to be done onsite. The team built the white lacquer floater frame, which was assembled using the Hoffman dovetail system. The painting was also supported with interlocking stretchers to prevent any twisting or misshaping. The finished work was then installed adding an elegant addition to the living space.
Steps in the stretching and framing process being done on site
America Martin is a Cuban-American artist working out of Los Angeles. She had the encouragement of coming from a creative family and began drawing at the age of nine. Martin briefly worked as an actress and her most notable role was as Patsy in Disney's "The Rocketeer". She describes her work as anthropological and her predominant subject matter is the human figure. She considers her Cuban heritage to be a strong influence on her art. "Roots are like fingerprints," Martin once said. "My Colombian roots definitely have an impact on what I find beautiful aesthetically and what I'm drawn to." Stylistically her paintings refer to both folk art and modernist abstraction.
Antonio securing the painting in the floater frame
Martin is among the many prominent figurative and abstract artists represented by Artman ranging from the pop imagery of Marjorie Strider to the street influenced paintings of John "Crash" Matos. It's a pleasure and privilege to begin what we hope will be an ongoing collaboration with the gallery.
Mermaids On Rocks & Birds In Sky | Oil & acrylic on canvas | 54” X 136” in. (137.16 X 345.44 cm)