“A Martin photograph is always compelling, whether it captures the grandeur and power of nature or its subtle complexity. Equally strong are her abstract paintings— richly colored, textured, and beautifully balanced. ”
“In The Break series, my photographic study of water captures the 'moment between moments' of surf, invisible to our human eye. These images reveal the inherent sensuality and power of the ocean on the East End, creating a visceral experience for the viewer. Winters spent in Byron Bay, Australia led to an examination of what lies both on the surface of water and below it. I am drawn to waterways and terrains, peering down into their depths and mapping their surfaces. They walk the fine line between abstraction and representation, between the fluid and the solid, remaining ambiguous and bold at the same time. Although the images may appear altered,we find that nature offers the extraordinary in the ordinary… ‘reality’ in the age of manipulation.
Painting, meanwhile, is an act of faith. Approaching the white canvas I open myself to a meditative state that allows color and form to rush in. Then I often paint or scrape over existing layers, leaving traces of what has come before. This creates a seemingly direct connection with nature, however abstract.
Since I moved to the East Hampton sixteen years ago, nature has increasingly called to me in my work, asking for recognition, as I attune myself to its rhythms and celebrate its beauty.
— JM
Martin was born in Brooklyn, grew up on Long Island where she spent summers on Peconic Bay, and subsequently spent much of her adult life between France and New York City. She studied art in Tours, France under the direction of a former assistant to and student of Hans Hoffmann and evolved as an abstract painter. Exposure to artistically compelling European cinema led her back to New York City where she studied filmmaking at New York University. After a career in filmmaking in both NYC and Paris with the likes of Al Pacino and Gregory Colbert, she directed the documentary film Silent Sentries, broadcast on PBS.
In 1996 she established an art studio on the Lower East Side, returning to painting as a means of creative expression. In 2004, after nearly 15 years of city life, she moved her home and studio to East Hampton, New York, where the focus of her work shifted to the primal and powerful forces found in nature, in particular through her long love for and practice of photography.
Martin’s work has been exhibited in numerous museums, art fairs and galleries in New York City, the East End, Miami, Santa Fe, Dallas, Los Angeles, Australia, and Europe. Martin has had solo exhibitions at Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY and Islip Art Museum, Islip, NY. Her work can also be found in the permanent collection of the Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, NY; Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY; and in numerous corporate and private collections throughout the world.
Jane Martin by Jaime Lopez
ARTIST'S CAROUSEL
rotating exhibit of current & recently sold work
JANE MARTIN speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS
CM/ WHAT MEDIUMS DO YOU WORK IN?
JM/ When something calls to me, however undefined it may be at the inception, it seems to speak in the language of a particular medium. So by nature I am a multi-disciplinary artist, currently working primarily in photography, video, and painting. Each medium informs and enriches the other as their subjects refer to both the primal power and quieter mysteries of nature.
CM/ WHAT DRAWS YOU TO PHOTOGRAPHY AS A MEDIUM?
JM/ Photography is an act of intimacy. It often allows us to see what we are incapable of observing in the movement of life. The wave images were shot post-hurricane with a 300mm lens – stepping way beyond the danger zone ropes, standing in the raging sea. The format that feels most potent to me is a long horizontal, a 2.4:1 ratio called Anamorphic, that echoes cinematic widescreen. I crop my images according to this ratio, allowing the ocean ‘riffs’ to fill the screen.
CM/ WATER IS A MAIN THEME IN YOUR WORK. WHY?
JM/ Whether the primal force of the ocean—the enormous surf of the East End—or the stillness of lakes on the easternmost point of Australia. Water also comes to a perfect stillness as reflected in my more abstract series, shot above tea tree lakes, ‘Down Under,’ once aboriginal birthing grounds. Full of depth and mystery, we find the extraordinary in the ordinary.
CM/HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHEN TO PAINT OR PHOTOGRAPH?
JM/Photography is based on the natural elements, dependent on weather and seasons. But I can paint whenever I like. I simply go into the studio to work rather than waiting for inspiration.
CM/WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN PAINTING MATERIALS?
JM/ Acrylic paint (including iridescent colors), silver and gold leaf, brushes, scrapers, sandpaper, charcoal and graphite. I switched from oil to acrylic many years ago as acrylic allows me to work more quickly and still gives beautiful rich results.
CM/WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST CHALLENGING OR SATISFYING ABOUT PAINTING?
JM/When I have been working on photographs and printing for a long time I like getting back to painting. Painting allows me to move away from screens and digital technologies. I enjoy working with my hands and listening to music. One of my favorite moments is when I go into my studio late at night to sit and look at what I have accomplished or muse about how I want to approach a painting I have been working on. There seems to be increased clarity at that hour.
CM/ WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE EAST END?
JM/I first came to the East End in 1998 looking for a weekend respite from New York City. I immediately fell in love with the diversity of waterscapes and its more rural areas combined with the level of cultural sophistication.
PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW
ARTIST'S CAROUSEL
rotating exhibit of current & recently sold painting
