February 6 - March 6, 2021
From Ro2 Gallery:
“Ro2 Art is proud to present Close World Open Thought, a solo exhibition featuring new works by artist Kai Peter Martin. The show will run from February 6th through March 6th, 2021. The exhibition will open with an artist reception at Ro2 Art The Cedars located at 1501 S Ervay St, Dallas, TX and will take place from 12-5 PM.
Kai Peter Martin’s work focuses on depictions of interiors, while ruminating on concepts of containment, place, and representations of psychological space. Martin’s landscapes are built using multiple perspectives on the same picture plane; this is both a way to delineate a physically impossible space and as a metaphor for the complexity of lived experiences. In Martin’s most recent works, the artist infuses the surface directly with pigment. There is no canvas for paint to be brushed on; here both are combined through plaster, one of art history’s most ancient mediums. This dense texture allows the artist to add another layer of mark making by etching into the work. Carving into domestic scenes in this way, Martin permeates them with a mysterious narrative.
Artist Statement
“My body of work centers on the use of paper pulp plaster applied to canvas with a variety of techniques. The materiality of the paper pulp plaster allows for a wide range of moves—sculptural relief, painting, drawing, etching—to find compelling ways of building up a surface and image. Some objects edge towards illusion, others are drawn on the surface and fail to fully form, and certain parts rise from the surface three-dimensionally, creating a playful dissonance in the represented space.
In contrast to previous work, these new paintings begin with dry pigment mixed directly into the plaster; this pigmented plaster is then used to build up the image of an architectural space. Each block of color contributes to a radically simplified image of a domestic interior, with a pronounced texture and boundaries that are at once well-defined and slightly wobbly. On top of this, various drawing media are used to produce the effect of a skittering attention, animating the space with a tension between the large colored plaster forms and the mark-making on the surface.”
About The Artist
Kai Peter Martin’s work uses both drawing and painting techniques to address his interest in the relation between figures and environment, often composing multiple scenes into a sweeping narrative. Martin is concerned with the impact psychological space has on narrative and the nature of representation, using strategies such as multiple perspectives and the use of text to expand the mental field of play. He has exhibited throughout Texas and the U.S. at various venues and has received numerous scholarships and awards. Born in Austin, Kai Peter Martin received a BA in Painting from Reed College in Portland, Oregon and recieved an MFA in Drawing and Painting at the University of North Texas.
About Ro2 Art
Ro2 Art is a contemporary fine art gallery with spaces in The Cedars Neighborhood and Downtown Dallas, representing a diverse group of emerging, mid-career, and established contemporary artists – many with ties to the North Texas Region. The gallery, founded in 2010 by mother-and-son partners Susan Roth Romans and Jordan Roth, regularly collaborates with organizations such as The MAC and Cedars Union, and maintains an exhibition program within the Magnolia Theatre at West Village and other satellite venues. Ro2 Art has been named Dallas Observer’s Best Art Gallery and was presented with the 25th Annual Obelisk Award for small business by the North Texas Business Council for the Arts. The gallery’s art fair program has included the Dallas Art Fair, Texas Contemporary, and Art Aspen. More info: http://www.ro2art.com
All works will be on view February 6, 2020 – March 6, 2021. Please join us for the opening reception on Saturday, February 6, 12-5 PM at Ro2 Art, located at 1501 S Ervay St, Dallas TX 75215. For more information, visit www.Ro2art.com, or call Jordan Roth at (214) 803-9575.”
On View: February 6, 2021 | 12–5 pm
1501 South Ervay Street
Dallas, 75215 TX
(214) 803-9575
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