LINDA MARTINELLO
TIME AND TERRAIN: ALONG THE CÔTE D’AZUR
February 3rd – February 24th, 2024
In 2022, Linda Martinello completed a residency at the Château de La Napoule in the South of France. The château, tucked away along the rocky Mediterranean coast, inspired a study of the visual contrast between the striking red hue of the stony cliffside and the azure water. The artist immersed herself in a sensory exploration, taking daily walks along the coastline and hiking in hillside trails. Everywhere around her, the changing light and delicate dance between the rock, the sun, and the sea layered the landscape with optical movement and patterns.
Linda Martinello
Cassis Stone Massif, 2023 oil and graphite on drafting film 40 x 80 in. $ 14,000.00
Linda Martinello Phoenicians Footpath, 2023 oil and graphite on drafting film 90 x 60 in. $ 18,000.00
Linda Martinello Time and Terrain, 2023 oil and graphite on drafting film 50 x 80 in. $ 16,000.00
Linda Martinello
High Valleys of the Var, 2023 oil and graphite on drafting film 36 x 48 in. $ 8,000.00
Linda Martinello
Solvay Quarry, 2023 oil and graphite on drafting film 48 x 36 in. $ 8,000.00
Linda Martinello
Mountains of the Estérel Massi, 2023 oil and graphite on drafting film 40 x 60 in. $ 10,000.00
Linda Martinello’s studio at the Château de La Napoule
Top Left: Linda Martinello, Calanque d’En Vau (Shore), 2023, oil and graphite on drafting film, 12 x 9 in., $ 1,200.00 Top Right: Linda Martinello, Red Rocks Coves of Estérel, 2023, oil and graphite on drafting film, 12 x 9 in., $ 1,200.00 Bottom: Linda Martinello, High Valleys of the Var, 2023, oil and graphite on drafting film, 9 x 12 in., $ 1,200.00
Linda Martinello’s paintings translate the essence of place with sheared swaths of drafting film and vibrantly hued paint. Martinello’s practice is largely travel-based, often spending months in foreign places making observational drawings, notes and videos. She then revisits these gathered materials back at her studio to create studies that are followed by larger works that weave together elements of painting, drawing and collage. While her expressive drawing loosely follows the curves of architectural and geographical details, her use of vivid colour evokes the feeling and qualities of light. The resulting works convey a visual language that resonates with the energy of the natural world. Linda Martinello was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1980. She is currently based in Caledon, Ontario and teaches at the Ontario College of Art + Design. Martinello completed her MFA at the University of Waterloo and received an Honors BA from the University of Toronto. Her work is included in many prominent private, public and corporate collections including BMO Financial Group, TD Bank and Telus. She is the recipient of several awards and research grants including SSHRC Graduate Research Scholarship and University of Waterloo President’s Graduate Scholarship. In 2019, she completed a major commission for Cadillac Fairview for a lobby in downtown Toronto.