Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Tyler Martinez.
Hi Ryan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Being trained academically in studio art (graphic design) and architecture for many years, I learned that I was the happiest when I was able to use multiple disciplines or mediums to produce my work. Architecture teaches you to be precise and specific. When I started working for Frank Gehry, we used physical models as a tool for design. The messy model aesthetics of cut paper and hot glue taught me that being less precise and specific sometimes leads to accidental happiness. I found happiness in painting. I currently have a painting studio in downtown Los Angeles where I produce colorful textile paintings layered with archival paper with mixed media on sewn canvas.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not being trained formally in painting, it was an ongoing process to develop my own techniques in my studio. I had taken a fibers class when I was an undergraduate student and had learned how to use a sewing machine. During the pandemic, I started using my partner’s sewing machine as a tool to create quilted canvases that I used for my paintings. It took me several years to create my current workflow and process; something that is evolving and changing every day.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
There is a sense of 3-dimensionality in my work. Which may or may not be a result of my relationship with architecture. I am interested in craft and constructability as a problem for painting. During my residency at Art Omi in Ghent, NY I discovered I could sew layers of cardboard between canvas and prints, creating an opportunity to paint on objects instead of surfaces. My work focuses on how layers of material, color, and different mediums can be assembled into a cohesive whole. It has been an ongoing experiment, something that has not reached a conclusive definition but I am optimistic about where it might lead me.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Think less, do more, and learn how to make decisions. More than often, and I find this with multiple disciplines, the characters in this world that do what they want just do it. I started painting in my living room with house paint and pre-stretched canvases. My paintings at the beginning made me uncomfortable. But with practice and perseverance, it eventually evolved into what it is today. Do your best, and keep going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ryantylermartinez.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryantylermartinez
Image Credits
Michael Bezman
