martyna alexander at playground detroit
Courts
“Through the creation of spaces and rigid visual systems that are both fantasy and derived from a deep connection to real ancestral environments and lifestyles, Alexander explores how our psyche is affected by our families’ past and connection to place. By understanding sports- or play, place-making, and fantasy together as tools that deconstruct or replicate patterned behaviors of past lives, we begin to understand the ways in which they affect the environment, people or self and reflect on our inner or communal needs.
For Alexander, the creation of spaces and rigid visual systems that are both fantasy and derived from a deep connection to real ancestral environments and lifestyles is a way to explore how our psyche is affected by our families’ past and connection to place.”
In order to keep her tightly painted grids clean, Alexander coats the canvas with clear gesso sealing the highly absorbent surface while retaining its natural color and texture which contributes to the picture. Her meticulous structures require intense planning allowing the elements of spontaneity to surprise with unexpected whimsy.
In any minimal composition, every mark and color choice become critical to success. The loosely painted block of ochre is broken by an opaque black curve. A barely perceptible green outlines the orange bullseye activating the space.
Harkening to Frank Stella, Alexander has expanded into shaped canvases. These layered fantastical game courts allocate considered line work suddenly interrupted by a randomly sprayed earthy yellow breaking the fastidious spell.
The contrast between a traditionally painted landscape and the graphic laid over top creates the sensation of a viewfinder attempting to capture the perfect photo. All of her work slyly employs complementary colors to generate energy in otherwise subdued compositions.
Having viewed and reviewed Alexander’s first solo exhibition in this same gallery two years ago, it’s a treat to see how she’s evolved in that time. Precision combined with expressive splashes and schmears in austere designs are Alexander’s calling card. Courts demonstrates this artist’s ripening style as she continues to develop and explore her unique visual voice.
Before getting into the interview with Martyna, I want to take a moment to thank my yoga teacher, Lisa Katzman, for supporting this endeavor from the start. Her compassion and kindness keep me (relatively) sane so I can deliver these reviews to you every week. Namaste my lovely friend.
VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH MARTYNA ALEXANDER
Martyna was one of the first artists reviewed for this newsletter. I was very excited to discuss her journey since she burst onto the Detroit art scene in 2022.