Javier Martin

Miami, FL – September 24, 2015 – Valli Art Gallery presented the opening reception for Javier Martin’s War, Consumption, and Other Human Hobbies, a strong combination of paintings, photographs, sculptures and installations that gathers the individual message of each work to characterize the entire exhibition with a particular language, where criticism towards contemporary and global society prevails. Topics such as fashion, politics, money and even adult film iconography become channels of expression; nevertheless communication is altered by Javier´s vision. A vision that invites you to feel identified but also pushes you to self-assessment.  In this new exhibition, the initial uncertainty and intrigue fade with the understanding of the depth of the artist´s message; this is the purpose of Javier with “War, Consumption and Other Human Hobbies“, an expedition to those social issues that define the everyday world represented with an ironic perspective that challenges the viewer. The deliberate interaction of mass consumption objects and materials contrasted with symbols that describe certain political criticism shape the works presented in this exhibition.

World Red Eye caught up with Martin, who gave us a closer look into his art world and what inspires him most.

Javier Martin

The fundamental part of my work comes from observing society; especially trying to find those small details that make you see everything from different perspectives.

Javier Martin

WRE: Have you always known you wanted to create art or is this something you stumbled upon?

JM: I started at a very young age. I was a hyperactive child and when I was 7 years old my mother enrolled me in painting classes where I found tools to express myself. Two years later, I presented my first exhibition receiving the Caja Madrid Award for Young Artists. From that moment on, everything in my life was about expressing what I think and feel.

WRE: Tell us about your latest exhibit War, Consumption, and Other Human Hobbies?  

JM: The concept is a tour to all the social issues that we live day to day; approached from an ironic vision that invites to a self-assessment. The mix of elements and materials with everyday consumer items, political and social issues shape the works of this exhibition. This is also a journey through different techniques: painting, photography, sculpture and installations, creating each piece not only to have its own particular language, but also a collective language in the whole exhibition, making the viewer feel identified using themes such as fashion, political speeches, money, and even adult films. The idea is to create a new language where the viewer is a fundamental part of the show.

WRE: What are you hoping people will take away from this exhibit?

JM: My intention is that the viewer becomes a part of the exhibit, interacting directly and feeling the he is part of it. Most importantly, I want to generate a self-evaluation experience by each person at the time they face my work, giving them the freedom to take that message and somehow connect their personal experiences through this show.

WRE: You are originally from Spain, has that culture had an influence on your work?

JM: I was in a Spanish town called Ceuta that is in the border next to Morocco. My origin has greatly influenced the way I make art because I’ve always been in contact with other cultures and I have seen many situations in a place near a border. My mission has been to create work that tells the story of things and situations that surround me. Spain was the beginning of my message because it was where I lived, but later it ended up being a combination of all the places I have lived and spent time creating, such as Hong Kong or South Korea. All of those places have added a new perspective to my creations.

WRE: What is your creative process like from start to finish?

JM: My creative process is usually born from a message I want to convey. I visualize that message and begin to search for items and materials that can represent it and then I look for a way to synthesize and mix them until the message is clearly shown. In this process, I do not limit myself to any technique and I allow myself to experiment with new materials and techniques. There has been cases where the process was reversed, where I connect with a material and while working messages and ideas start to emerge, and then I start the technical process to bring to reality all ideas that arise in this process.

WRE: Where do you draw inspiration from?

JM: I find inspiration in what surrounds me everyday and the experiences that I live. Also I find inspiration in my travels and all the information that comes to my eyes every day. The fundamental part of my work comes from observing society, especially trying to find those small details that makes one see everything from different perspectives.

WRE: What do you believe is a key element in creating a good composition?

JM: I think the key is in the combination of a message and a material and the interaction they have to each other. The perfect composition for me is one that transmits a lot without requiring many elements, where simplicity prevails.

WRE: What is a typical day like in the studio for you?  

JM: The work I do at my studio is seasonal jobs where there is also time for the development of ideas and projects. However, sometimes the process starts with cleaning the materials and organizing things which can create a ritual where new ideas begin to emerge. Usually it happens in the silence at night, when I feel the world is asleep and that is when I start a journey to paint and create.

WRE: When are you at your most creative?

JM: When I return from my trips. Different cultures and experiences always make me accumulate many ideas that later are an explosion of creativity. Many of my ideas come at night and have to wake up to write them down or even go to the studio to work on them.

WRE: What can we expect from you in the future in regards to your work?

JM: I am now working on a commission in Miami for PMG (one of the most important builders of New York) and I will create my first monumental work. It is a public work and will be in one of the emblematic areas of Miami (Downtown). A work of 170 feet with a mixture of techniques, including video art, that will be an opportunity to showcase monumental dimensions in the concept of what I’ve been working all these years.

Melissa Valli & Ryan Shear

Jorge Noziglia

Keila Perez

Delilah Phelan & Marcos Vinas

Adriana Vergara, Juan Carlos Arcila-Duque, & Mali Parkerson

Adriana Vergara, Juan Carlos Arcila-Duque, Mali Parkerson, & Philip Michael Wolfson

Brandon Kallman, Melissa & Franco Valli, & Miranda Kallman

Franco Valli, Miranda & Brandon Kallman

Svetlana Pantic

Paola Diaz & GianCarlo Arrazola

Paola Diaz & GianCarlo Arrazola

Paola Diaz & GianCarlo Arrazola

Danny Doya & Sandra Diaz-Velasco

Victor Sanabrais

Chad Gavery, Javier Martin, & Steven Burton

Sofia Sarria & Henry Sanchez

Henry Sanchez, Sofia Sarria, & Javier Martin

Henry Sanchez & Sofia Sarria

Franco & Melissa Valli, & Chad Gavery

Esther Mondelus, Christian Cruz, Claudia Saillant, Nancy Jimenez, & Ashley Townsend

Lauren Negrin, Victor Guerra, & Hannah Negrin

Nadege Massenat & Claudine Ordinario

Claudine Ordinario & Nadege Massenat

Juliana Moura

Philip Michael Wolfson, Juan Carlos Arcila-Duque, & Franco Valli

Javier Martin, Heidi Bogle, & Aria Nero-Seder

Norman Fernandez & Javier Martin

Susan Arregui, Munisha Underhill, & Soledad Picon

Ryan Shear, Soledad Picon, & Franco Valli

Veronica Murphy, Marcela Garcia Bonini, Fernando Abbondati, & Leah Fish

Juliana Moura & Suzy Dias

Natacha Munilla & Bart Bastian

Kimberly Diamant & Glen Miller

Franco Valli & Ryan Shear

Alex Moggio, Nigel Stirk, & Franco Valli

Keila Perez, Sabrina Boasman, & Javier Martin

Aria Nero-Seder & Heidi Bogle

Cathy Cacciamani & Svetlana Pantic

Katerina Friderici & Ana Zapata

Alex & Elisa Maglietta

Nigel Stirk, Franco Valli, & Alex Moggio

Miranda & Brandon Kallman

Franco Valli, Marcos Vinas, Lauren Negrin, Victor Guerra, Hannah Negrin, & Delilah Phelan

Javier Martin, Ryan Shear, & Franco Valli