Ten years ago, I threw my whole body into studying contemporary art. While I was trying to decode what made the art of that moment different, one of the first emerging artists that piqued my interest was Eddie Martinez.

I remember going to a bunch of art fairs and thinking that his work really stood out from the rest. His paintings were rough, playful and not self-important. They presented obscure figures and imagery that drew me in and tempted me to decode what was happening. To this day, I find myself enamored with Eddie’s work and intrigued with the fact that I am never quite sure what I am actually staring at…this is part of the magic.

This past weekend, amidst the madness of the pandemic, Eddie Martinez presented a new body of work at his New York gallery Mitchell-Innes and Nash. The show seems to aggregate a variety of styles that Eddie has developed over the last ten years with some new twists as well. It is so great to see the evolution of his practice and at the same time, it is also nice to see a return to some of the baseline flavor that was central to what attracted me to his art in the first place.

Eddie continues to grow as an artist and his appeal and recognition have grown worldwide as well. Take a look at the exhibition and follow Eddie on Instagram. He is one of a kind.

Above Image:

EDDIE MARTINEZ

Untitled

2020

Oil, acrylic and spray paint on canvas

72 by 108 in. 182.9 by 274.3 cm.

Courtesy of Mitchell-Innes and Nash