Robert Martin
CANADA
Reflections of Transcendence C
anadian contemporary visual artist Robert Martin is presently living a simple life in the jungles of North Bali, Indonesia where he paints all day using his crafted tools while deliberately connecting with the mystical spirits, a character of animism that is prevailing in Bali. His passion for the visual arts have already started when he was still a child, and the year 2011 is the threshold of his career as an artist, while his deep association with nature can be traced from his Iroquois native blood. He is known to have traveled and stayed shortly around the world such as in Australia, Greece, Germany, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Turkey, Cuba, Costa Rica, and New Zealand. His exposure to diverse geographies stirred his art practice as evident in his works. To him, he is a medium for the universe and his paintings are an expression of life’s vigour and channels of every living thing’s energy and vibrations through their thoughts and emotions. In addition, he sees painting as inward liberty which servesas part of the dynamics of the universe, while colors reflect the essence and spirit of his work. Among his solo art exhibition is The Vibrations of Life in 2019. It depicts large-scale abstract paintings featuring an interplay of textured brushstrokes and dusky hues. Here, Martin extends the channels of energies sensed and gathered from his surroundings. With that, it opens an ongoing exchange of transcendental relations with the viewers. Another piece that engages with divine existence is his Tibet, a twenty by twenty-four inched acrylic painting, featuring mountain-like figures established on blazing red ground. Here, the piece evokes a sense of enchantment and vivacity, unique qualities of his oeuvre, and reflects Martin’s deep appreciation of nature particularly the land forms.
of the ground. The imageries liken to ripples of water and sound waves traveling through space and time. It is as if ghostly spheres of energy have been released and passed through from entity to entity, sharing one common force, sustaining life to all. The circular imageries may also resemble the ancient gongs signifying a reflection of Bali’s rich traditional musical instruments as a result of local production and intercultural trading. In terms of color, the warm hues rekindle intimacy, gold relights a divine hierarchy, and black represents the universe. The colors seem to be influenced by Bali’s traditional textiles that are commonly tied and then dyed using red, brown, yellow, white, and black pigments. Aside from large-scale paintings, Martin is also interested in creating murals like his Tibet. Its grandeur lets the spectators be immersed in and astound of its subject. Regardless of size, Martin’s oeuvre draws us closer to nature and its emancipating beauty and encompassing matters. In contemporary art history, it positions his oeuvre as a forceful collision between arts, culture, and spirituality.
Symmetry, the balanced distribution of elements creating a sense of beauty, is as well eminent in Martin’s works. Viewed from a top view, both works Infinite and Parallel depict wide semicircles with each diameter resting on the side edge
Philippine Art and Beyond
— Timberly S. Fuentes
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