November 7 - January 2, 2019
“Martiny’s OPEN series continues the artist’s exploration into the presence and power of gestures made to exist
forever in the present. Moving away from earlier forms that were closed, Martiny’s latest body of work incorporates a
significant amount of negative space. OPEN refers to the action of the viewer rather than the object itself. Martiny
borrows this concept from a series of works by Robert Motherwell, depicting abstract windows in order to gaze into
the infinite. Operating in the gap between painting and sculpture, Martiny defines his paintings as the brushstroke
itself.
These sculptural brushstrokes are created by manipulating paint, pigments and polymers to create lyrical, abstract
expressionist paintings. Martiny is interested in allowing gesture to escape from the traditional rectangular support
and realize its potential in relation to architectural space. Each piece encourages a dialogue between the viewer, the
work, and the space contained within. “Donald Martiny’s work forces us to question the established definitions which
form the backbone of our understanding of painting as both a pursuit and a product, and of paint as a medium. In
challenging the viewer in these ways, it is not only visually exciting but intellectually invigorating.” – Professor Deborah
Swallow, Märit Rausing Director, The Courtauld Institute of Art”
Opening: November 7, 2019 | 6–8 pm
Dimmitt Contemporary (Houston)
3637 West Alabama Street #160, Houston, TX 77027
Houston, 77027 Texas
281.468.6569
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