Patrick Martinez

Artist’s Statement

My works and the concepts developed through them speak to the diversity that is Los Angeles. I am interested in the vernacular of the landscape. The use of stucco, spray paint, tile, and neon combined with traditional methods and materials of art production provide me with the space to present current socio-economic challenges and how they affect the constituents of the city and the country. The exploration of these materials allows me to present the stories that define LA and how they relate to the US and other countries. I am interested in the untapped rhythms and pockets neighborhoods, with the intention of elevating them to national and international platforms.

Through the production and presentation of my work, I am looking to tell the stories of the communities, people, and establishments that create the signs and symbols that so distinctly characterize L.A. By continuously pushing forward with my process I aim to uncover the individuals that are served by and service our communities; the people who construct them, work for them, migrate to them, commute through them, vandalize them, maintain them, and renovate them.

My persistent interrogation of the materials and stories lay the foundation for an approachable, transparent, and hopefully meaningful investigation of myself, my process, my city, and my country. The landscapes, people, and languages of L.A. are the essence of my work. I aim to share the conflicts and inequalities that unceasingly confront the city, alongside its rich cultural heritage, unique ethnic multiplicity, and unparalleled vibrancy.

I identify with the many underrepresented and misrepresented individuals of mixed ethnic backgrounds and those that grow-up in economically disadvantaged communities. I am Filipino, Mexican, and Native American. Navigating the diverse cultural backgrounds of each parent, in addition to unrealistic American ideals are challenges that many minorities face.

My work is primarily about advocacy and social reform, reflecting subtexts of power and inequality. Some of the paintings function to memorialize forgotten or dismissed victims of police and immigration brutality. While many works speak to current issues of displacement, gentrification, and other forms of socio-economic inequalities. My goal is to counter the widespread cultural amnesia spearheaded by the mass media and consumer culture by memorializing and presenting issues that need attention, reflection, and revision. Working with and speaking to university students to activate social and cultural spaces is also an integral part of my practice.

Website: patrickmartinez.com

Biography

Solo Exhibitions

2018
Remembering to Forget, Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2017
America Is For Dreamers, Vincent Price Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA
American Memorial, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Winter Park, FL
Po-lice, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA
All Season Portfolio, Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2015
Forbidden Fruit, New Image Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2013
Buy Now, Cry Later, Public Functionary, Minneapolis, MN

2012
Lovely Day, Known Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2011
Hustlemania, Known Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Reel Tawlk, Loft in Space Gallery, Honolulu, HI

2009
You Don’t Have To Lie To Kick It, Upper Playground / Fifty24la Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2004
The Palm Tree Paradox, Crewest Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Group Exhibitions

2018
FOCUS: California, Art Toronto, Toronto, Canada
HERE, The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Building Bridges, Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, Mexico City
Emory Douglas: Bold Visual Language, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA
Beyond the Streets, Curated by Roger Gastman, Los Angeles, CA
Black is a color, curated by Essence Harden, Antenna Gallery, New Orleans, LA
Sidelined, Galerie Lelong, New York, NY

2017
My Barrio: Emigdio Vasquez and Chicana/o Identity in Orange County, Guggenheim Gallery, Chapman University, Orange, CA
Fictions, Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY
Face to Face: Los Angeles Collects Portraiture, California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Black is a color, curated by Essence Harden, Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1992, Residency Art, Los Angeles, CA
Flash Point 2017: Twenty-five Years After the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
We Buy Gold, Brooklyn, NY

2016
Roll Call, curated by Gajin Fujita, LA Louver, Los Angeles, CA
Southland, curated by Patrick Martinez, Charlie James gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2015
The Thrill of Victory the Agony of Defeat: Sports in Contemporary Art, New Image Art, Los Angeles, CA
A Sign Only Has to Serve as a Sign, Providence College Galleries, Rhode Island
Found in Translation, MACLA Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, San Jose, CA
Los Angeles SUR Biennial, Cerritos College Art Gallery, Cerritos, CA
This Is My Trip, Joshua Liner Gallery, New York, NY
Mooncakes, Churros, and Cherry Pie, Euphrat Museum of Art, Cupertino, CA

2014
Seau Banco Carbon, Bed Stuy Love Affair, New York, NY
My Crazy Life, New Image Art, Los Angeles, CA
RE:DEFINE, Dallas Contemporary, Dallas, TX
L.A. Heat, Chinese American Museum, Los Angeles, CA

2013
Most Oddinism, Art Basel, Miami, FL
Break Bread, Site Specific Installation, El Tapatio Market, Bell Gardens, CA
July Group Show, Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Bespoke Auction, Dallas Contemporary, Dallas, TX
Bullets Billboard Project, Various Locations around L.A., Los Angeles, CA

2012
Scope Miami Art Fair, VH1 Lounge Garden Installation, Miami, FL
Scope Miami Art Fair, Circuit 12 Contemporary, Miami, FL
Lance Armstrong – 15 Years of LIVESTRONG, Featuring work from: Ed Ruscha, Mister Cartoon, Dustin Yellin and Patrick Martinez, Austin Convention Center, Austin, TX
Season Opener, Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Getty Research Institute “Black Book Project,” Permanent Collection, The Getty, Los Angeles, CA
Even Flow, 3 Person Show, Circuit 12 Contemporary, Dallas, TX
City of Fire, Curated by Arrested Motion, Steven Webster Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA
All in for the 99%, Curated by New Image Art, Ace Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Palm Springs Fine Art Fair / Post – War And Contemporary Art Group Show, Cheech Marin / Known Gallery / Thomas Paul Fine Art, Palm Springs, CA
Dream Continuum, Group Show, Circuit 12 Contemporary, Dallas, TX

2011
Assorted Flavor, Known Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Ward of the State, Rivera Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Nothing To Say, Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2010
Dreams Deferred, Chinese American Museum Los Angeles, CA
Come In We’re Closed, Store Front Installation, Los Angeles, CA
Re:Form School, New York, NY
(I Can) Feel The Pulse, Mama Showroom Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Freedom, Known Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Manifest Equality, Los Angeles, CA
Keep It Real, Semi Permanent installation, Show and Tell Gallery Toronto, Canada

2009
Manifest Hope, Irvine Contemporary Washington D.C.
Scion Installation Tour, Various Galleries across the United States, Detroit, MI, Miami, FL Phoenix, AZ, Minneapolis, MN, New York, NY, San Jose, CA, Philadelphia, PA, Portland, OR, Los Angeles, CA

2008
New Works, Two Man Show Upper Playground / Fifty24la Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Scion Installation Tour, Various Galleries across the United States, Detroit, MI, Miami, FL Phoenix, AZ, Minneapolis, MN, New York, NY, San Jose, CA, Philadelphia, PA, Portland, OR, Los Angeles, CA

2007
Rendition, Scion Art Gallery Culver City, CA

2006
Soul Significance, Crewest Gallery Los Angeles, CA

2005
The First Annual LA Weekly Biennial, Track 16 Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

2003
No Struggle, No Progress, Rock Rose Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2002
Audio Canvas, Crewest Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Selected Publications

2018
Samanta Helou Hernandez, “’Bridges in a Time of Walls’ Brings Chicano Art to Mexico City,” KCET Artbound
Mira Dayal, “Fictions – The Studio Museum in Harlem,” Artforum
Seph Rodney, “The Political Truths That Ground Our Athletic Heroes,” Hyperallergic

2017

Holland Cotter, “From Personal to Political, 19 Artists to Watch Next Year,” New York Times
Leah Sandler, “Artist Patrick Martinez remixes everyday stuff like school supplies, store neons and sheet cakes into artifacts of brutality,” Orlando Weekly
Ezrha Jean Black, “Patrick Martinez: All Season Portfolio,” Artillery Magazine
Carolina Miranda, “How graffiti, neon signs and Pee-Chee folders taught artist Patrick Martinez to see Los Angeles,” Los Angeles Times
Essence Harden, “A Grief, Which Does Not Cease, Insists on a Presence, Which Must Protest,” SFAQ
“Patrick Martinez at Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles,” ArtNews
Rose G. Salseda, “Black and Blue and Brown: Artists Depict Police Brutality,” KCET Artbound

2016
David Pagel, “L.A.’s potent ‘Call’,” Los Angeles Times
Adam Popescu, “Kobe Bryant’s Next Step, New Shoes, and Moves with Los Angeles Artists,” New York Times
Essence Harden, “What Resonates: Southland at Charlie James Gallery,” SFAQ
Austin Cross and A Martinez, “SoCal Artist uses Pee-Chee style to document police use of force,” KPCC Take Two
Liz Ohanesian, “Retro ‘Pee-Chee’ Folders are Re-envisioned to Memorialize Victims of Police Brutality,” KCET
Kristen Cochrane, “Meet Patrick Martinez: Drake’s Favourite Neon Artist,” Amuse, VICE
Jorge Rivas, “Iconic ‘Pee-Chee’ folders Reimagined with Familiar Scenes of Police Brutality,” FUSION

2015
Chloe Dewberry, “Artist Patrick Martinez Gives the Still Life a Neon Makeover,” Opening Ceremony Blog

Professional Experience

2018
Museum Tour and Artist Lunch, The Cultivist, Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
Artist POV Tour: Patrick Martinez, Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
Artist Talk: America is for Dreamers, Vincent Price Museum, East Los Angeles, CA

2017
Artist Talk, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
Artist Talk, Art + Practice, Los Angeles, CA
Artist Talk, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Orlando, FL
Panel Discussion: Flash Point 2017: Twenty-Five Years After the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising, University of California, Los Angeles, Westwood, CA

Special Projects

2018
The Mistake Room Benefit Edition, “I AM,” 2018, Edition of 25 + 5Aps, Los Angeles, CA

2017
Pee-Chee Folder Edition, 10 Rules of Survival if Stopped by the Police, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA
Pee-Chee Folder Edition, Flash Point 2017: Twenty-Five Years After the 1992 Los Angeles
Uprising, University of California, Los Angeles, Westwood, CA
LA Original Citywide Campaign, Presented by the Mayor’s Fund, Los Angeles, CA

Education

B.F.A. with Honors
Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA