PAUL MARTINSON
’Venus in freefall’
Thursday 3rd - 17th October 2024 FRONT ROOM EXHIBITION
“There is no real fundamental difference between a bird or a fish, a person or any animal from my own perspective.”
- Paul Martinson
ABOUT
The works of Paul Martinson are both poetic and troubling. Primarily a realist, Paul’s body of work has been characterised by the placement of wildlife in imaginative and unusual settings. References to the known world are complicated with nonsensical paradigms; a fish in a light-bulb; a biomorphic bird.
Paul Martinson, from Palmerston North, has blended his passions for science and art since childhood. In the 1960s, he won numerous Sunday paper art competitions and later painted surreal impressions of insects and landscapes on old linen curtains. While encouraged toward realism, his inclination for imaginative interpretations remains a hallmark of his work.
Martinson’s art combines poetic and unsettling elements, placing wildlife in whimsical contexts—like a fish in a light bulb—while exploring deeper meanings behind these juxtapositions. His work invites viewers to reconsider the boundaries between different life forms, emphasizing a shared essence that transcends traditional categories.
As a research technician, his scientific background influences his artistic practice, allowing him to tackle profound philosophical questions. His meticulous technique invites viewers to reflect on the mysteries of life, bridging the known and the unknown through his captivating imagery.
Into the void 68.5 x 43cm Watercolour on Paper
Flow
70.2 x 80.5cm Oil on board
ZD$5,850
Metamorphic Lounge
67 x 49cm
Watercolour on Paper
At this moment a freudian slip
67 x 48cm
Watercolour on Paper
Unrehearsed Gathering 66 x 50.5cm
Watercolour on Paper
Here in this place 89 x 68cm Watercolour on Paper
Metamorphic Moment 60cm
On the origin of species
70 x 50cm
Watercolour on Paper
