Born in 1950 in San Francisco, CA. Marty Martinez started drawing at the age of six. He attended John O’Connell Technical Institute in San Francisco, CA and majored in Commercial Art. He is currently residing in South San Francisco and works out of the Greenhouse Studios.
Martinez's art career started to be acknowledged in 1975 when he entered a logo contest for what was called Marine World Africa USA, which is now Six Flags, through Creature Features, KTVU, Channel 2, where he won first place, and saw later how my design influenced their final logo.
In 2007, Martinez was selected as one of three finalists in People’s Art Competition, Cultural Competitions, Los Angeles, CA., through public voting. Also, was selected “Best Of”, Mims Gallery, Rocky Mount, NC, at the end of the Katrina tour. In 2006, he exhibited in Denver, Colorado at IMEO Gallery, and donated an artwork for a traveling exhibit in Richmond, VA, to raise funds for Katrina child victims. In 2005, two of his abstracts were used as advertisement in Dick Blick’s Art Materials catalog, to help promote Blickrylic acrylic paints.
The Shapeshifters Series
Shapeshifters are derived from Native American folklore. Being part Pueblo Indian myself, I’ve taken my positive energy within and converted it to the Shapeshifters concept – an object transforming into a different object. As a artist, I'm attempting an art form in acrylic to create my interpetation of the shapeshifter.
Native American culture speaks of Thunderbirds changing into human form. It's not only in Native American culture, other cultures have other types of shapeshifting. One example in real life is a Mimic Octopus. It has the ability to transform itself into various fish or even rock formations. In the shapeshifters series, I've adapted that concept. The shapes, colors, and designs in the artpiece can be interpreted as different formations, resulting in a shapeshift. End result; each work, a combination of color, design, and images, allows the viewer to share the same.
An added feature of the Shapeshifters Series, is the use of fluorescent acrylic, exposing the artwork to a black light, you will see the artwork transform into another image.
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