LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS, OH MY!: America Martin

About

Titled after the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, "lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" is exclaimed by Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion as they brave through the perilous forest to the Emerald City. A playful reference to the famous line suggesting that risk is often rewarded, Martin delivers a fresh perspective on a familiar subject.

Martin’s series of animal portraits captures a temporary stillness, while maintaining the energy and spontaneity of movement. Layering bold swaths of color, her expressionist touch achieves a wildness and freedom that matches each of her subjects. Influenced by her Colombian heritage, classicism, and modernist aesthetics, her work is both a humanist investigation and evocation of the relationship between the human form and the natural world. 

Adhering to most fundamental aspect of drawing - the line - to tell a story, Martin connects compositional elements with blocked areas of color to both inform and characterize her distinctive style. With unapologetic strokes and a bold palette, America’s forms hum with the vitality and vigor of the world around her.