John Martinek is an artist based in Iowa City, Iowa. His work explores themes ranging from direct observational drawing and painting from life, to themes that are initially based in realism, but are then shifted, distorted, and altered significantly. Both themes feed into each other, and are based on the search to understand perception, memory, and the way we connect to and experience the external world.

Personal Statement:

Like any traveler, there are times when I like to know exactly where I am going, and at other times I let the road show me the way. The subject of my drawings and paintings is discovered on this journey between the familiar and the unexplored. To balance this often confusing relationship, I create a system of limitations for each series of work based on past experiences. My images often begin by setting a stage that contains objects, figures, and architectural spaces. This stage becomes the framework for building, exploring, experimenting, and improvising with familiar visual references. Architectural space is the backdrop that I most often use because, apart from nature, it is where the majority of our lives happen. Within this rich and complex arena, the topics of my drawings and paintings can wander almost anywhere. By focusing intently on the subject for a long period of time, I work to distill and focus the image. At the same time, I improvise and explore with the composition and the materials until the subject emerges. These drawings and paintings capture my strong personal feelings about everyday life and the world around me. Often the most compelling and interesting discoveries lie in the gaps between our ordinary and familiar surroundings. Making art is my way of rooting out those discoveries.

Please explore the portfolio for further and more detailed explanations within each individual theme.