As an artist who loves to travel, Oliver Martínez has been exploring different corners of México since 2013, venturing far from his hometown of León, Guanajuato. Throughout these years, he has embraced a nomadic artist lifestyle. During his journeys, two particular places have captured his attention, situated quite a distance from the country's center: Baja California Sur and Yucatán. These locations rest on the peninsulas that define Mexico's borders, unique places surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez to the north, and the Gulf of México and the Caribbean Sea to the southeast.
The distance between these two places creates entirely different developmental conditions, with the only similarity being the drastic temperature changes that mark each season of the year.
The purpose of "Two Peninsulas," the project Oliver is presenting, is to showcase himself as a constant between these two sites, which, despite being opposite, have the power to evoke emotions, inspiration, and effects on his own person. These emotions seek to come to light in the form of artworks capturing the various environments (natural, social, and urban) that have developed in each place.
The only way to make such observation possible is to spend a significant amount of time in each place, allowing for the experience of various processes such as adaptation, integration, exploration, and connection. Textures, sounds, colors, and scents serve as immediate references, etched into his memory through his senses and portrayed in his artwork, aiming to create a lasting synesthetic impact.
For a little over a year, Oliver worked on the initial phase of this research project while residing in the small town of Todos Santos in Baja California Sur. The outcome was a piece titled "Ventanas (Windows)”, comprising sixty works, including sketches, artist's diaries, paintings, bronze sculptures, videos, installation, and a monumental urban sand sculpture on the Malecón beach. This artwork was unveiled on December 15, 2023, at the Baja California Sur Museum of Art (MUABCS), and will remain on exhibition until April 15, 2024, before touring both nationally and internationally
The second part of the project involves developing another piece titled "Meridianos", mainly composed of large-format textile art, combining various weaving techniques and materials from the region to showcase its roots and culture as an approach to Yucatecan traditions.
To share this process, Martínez has decided to open his studio home to the public so they can witness the development of his new role as a weaver.
In this way, the project presented in the Art Museum in La Paz, B.C.S., and the Estudio de Arte (the Art Studio) in Mérida, Yucatán, will create a symbolic territorial link through which the inhabitants of both peninsulas will have the opportunity to be active participants and observers of these creative processes from different perspectives.
As an artist, Oliver Martínez's goal is to create an unbreakable bond between two peninsulas that mark the beginning and end of a country through the same guiding thread: art.
On February 18, from 5 to 10 pm, the first Open Studio will take place where Oliver will present a new and for the first time, part of his archive. The studio can be visited from this day onwards at no cost by appointment, and the artist will gladly receive visitors personally.
IG: olivermartinezartist
Sitio web: www.arteoliver.com
Photography by Oliver Martínez for use in Yucatán Today.
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