The paintings of Chris Martin are not to be liked. Awkward, alternating between visionary and goofy, they are rumpled, bumpy, expressionistic, bold, quiet, and most importantly, seeming to defy all labels, expectations and codes of behavior.
There is something adept and convincing about Martin's work: one has the impression of his total freedom, from himself first and foremost. His surfaces are alive, and seem to be arrived at effortlessly, and he embraces the ugly and wrong joyfully. As a result, his work stands as a testament to the virtues he admires in others.
Roberta Smith on Chris Martin: review here.
Chris Martin is at Mitchell-Innes & Nash January 26th–March 1, 2008.
