Last Friday was the opening of Matador, a new series of paintings by Eddie Martinez, at The Journal Gallery's brand new North 1st Street space in Brooklyn. Five huge canvases––which look similar from a distance but very different up close––were on display. I took the opportunity to ask Eddie a few questions about his work.
Alexandre Stipanovich: A matador is a bullfighter who performs the final passes in the bullfight and kills the bull. Bullfighting was celebrated by Hemingway as an art, and by Picasso as a dance. Is this show a celebration of the art of bullfighting, or does its meaning lay elsewhere?
Eddie Martinez: I suppose it's a celebration of the likeness of my studio practice to a bullfight––the physicality of it and the sense of urgency. I would assume Hemingway and Picasso felt the same way about that physical, violent aspect of their own work as well?
AS: Could you describe the scene represented on the canvases?
EM: The scene is a super pared down composition of a different series of mine, American Native. People keep telling me it's a bull, which I never intentionally created.
AS: Would you say that these big paintings are different versions of a single figure you had in mind?
EM: Different versions of the same composition, yes. It's a study in making the same painting, but differently.
AS: The fact that this scene is replicated on several canvases gives the feeling of a vision or dream that needs to be described repetitively and endlessly.
EM: I think that the repetition works really well with my obsessive personality, it makes sense for me to keep working until the thing is "figured out."
AS: Along with black and white, you use primary colors. Why did you want to restrain your palette?
EM: The primary theme seemed to really express the physical presence I was trying to convey. I love what painters have done with this historically––specifically Miró, Calder, and Rauschenberg.
AS: Who is behind the matador?
EM: My most confident and most insecure self.
Through April 28th, 2013
![]()
Eddie
![]()
![]()
Joe and Taylor
![]()
![]()
Magnus and Alex
![]()
Edouard
![]()
Akari, Adrian, and a furry friend
![]()
![]()
![]()
Caroline of Chairlift DJing the afterparty
![]()
Tim
![]()
Tolga, the afterparty host
Alexandre Stipanovich: A matador is a bullfighter who performs the final passes in the bullfight and kills the bull. Bullfighting was celebrated by Hemingway as an art, and by Picasso as a dance. Is this show a celebration of the art of bullfighting, or does its meaning lay elsewhere?
Eddie Martinez: I suppose it's a celebration of the likeness of my studio practice to a bullfight––the physicality of it and the sense of urgency. I would assume Hemingway and Picasso felt the same way about that physical, violent aspect of their own work as well?
AS: Could you describe the scene represented on the canvases?
EM: The scene is a super pared down composition of a different series of mine, American Native. People keep telling me it's a bull, which I never intentionally created.
AS: Would you say that these big paintings are different versions of a single figure you had in mind?
EM: Different versions of the same composition, yes. It's a study in making the same painting, but differently.
AS: The fact that this scene is replicated on several canvases gives the feeling of a vision or dream that needs to be described repetitively and endlessly.
EM: I think that the repetition works really well with my obsessive personality, it makes sense for me to keep working until the thing is "figured out."
AS: Along with black and white, you use primary colors. Why did you want to restrain your palette?
EM: The primary theme seemed to really express the physical presence I was trying to convey. I love what painters have done with this historically––specifically Miró, Calder, and Rauschenberg.
AS: Who is behind the matador?
EM: My most confident and most insecure self.
Through April 28th, 2013
Eddie
Joe and Taylor
Magnus and Alex
Edouard
Akari, Adrian, and a furry friend
Caroline of Chairlift DJing the afterparty
Tim
Tolga, the afterparty host