They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but the lights in our lives, they blind us. We are trapped by a society that endeavors to control us, enticing us with comforts that dull our senses, preys on our fears and keeps us closed off from the freedom we so desperately desire. This performance is an act of rebellion against the lies that obstruct that freedom and the lights that veer us away from the path of truth. The layout of the lights places those who face it in a position of choice, with each light representing a figurative obstacle to overcome. The choice; to fall prey to fear or to fight to shatter society’s barriers and attain the freedom we so deeply . Decisions such as these are forever recurring and with each light shattered Martin charts a new realm of self-perception. The path to freedom is perilous and overwhelming. It drains those who dare to take the step. In a raw, emotional and explosive performance, Martin makes himself completely vulnerable in an intense spiritual journey of personal torment, loss, growth, and determination, to overcome his past in order to progress into the person he is today and convey the universal struggle against conformity, the fight for truth and freedom.
With an artist’s eye and a designer’s skills, Javier Martin mashes up trends in delightfully subversive ways to challenge our own desire for the luxurious. That, and he makes it fun. For example: The Louis Vuitton Weapon series. His work is immediate and visually captivating. He manages to seduce, which is not so bad in a time full of vulgarity. He seduces not because he wants to seduce, but because it is a less painful way to dive into the world. Javier Martin, a self-taught painter, and sculptor has exhibited his work at Context New York, Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Basel Miami, and Valencia Institute of Modern Art. He is a visual artist who has developed most of his works in painting and in sculpture. He uses fashion portraits often taken by him to compose his artwork. Martin also uses a mixture of techniques that involve digital prints as part of his trademark. As a self-educated artist, he started to paint at a young age and at the very premature age of 7. In 1994, Martin won the CAJA Madrid for young artist award. Two decades later Martin has reached an important statute and recognition in the art world by making individual & collective exhibitions in Europe, Asia, United Sates and Latin America.
Martin is mostly recognized by his works with pictures which highlight the blindness his models. The esthetic beauty of the works acquires a special value as a storyteller trying to set a point about how society judges without looking any further. Another of his most famous art pieces is his Louis Vuitton Rifles. These particular art pieces are all made from the fabric of deconstructed Louis Vuitton bags. The result: guns, grenades and AK- 47’s. Leaving a strong message about the modern cult to a specific dreamy object, a bag transformed into a weapon or a weapon transformed into a bag. His sculptures are cleaned lined and mainly use monochromatic colors, such as white or gold. He frequently uses the human figure in a way to engage the viewer into understanding a beautiful masterpiece, where is main goal is for the art enthusiast to understand substantial topics from a different & human point of view. Some of his most memorable art exhibitions are Context New York, Art Basel Hong Kong: Lies and Light, War Consumption & Other Human Hobbies, Art Basel Miami Beach: Basel Blindness, Estampa Madrid, Arte Lisboa, Art Lima (Peru), Art meets Fashion New York and Art show Busan (Korea). Today he is being managed by Matthew Liu Fine Arts in Shanghai and Valli Art Gallery in Miami. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what Mr. Martin does next!
Visit his website: www.javiermartinart.com
Follow @javiermartinart
Watch his film:
Lies and Light from Adrian Tse on Vimeo.
