John Martinek

Welcome to my website. Here you will find the most recent images and a selection of work covering the last 25 years or so.

My art begins with a strong personal reaction to visual perception and observation. The symbolism of light, space, architectural structures, manufactured objects, the human body, and nature make up the typical subjects in my work - and they are the things I love to draw. I use these to explore my understanding of the world and my relationship to it. This exploration fluctuates between two typical approaches. The first involves pulling apart and reconstructing what I have observed. The second involves excavating more deeply into the perceptual world.

Generally I use traditional techniques within drawing, printmaking, and painting. My working process is fundamentally about finding ways to open myself up without completely losing control. By exploring freely within this space, unforeseen results emerge as the materials assert their own characteristics on the subject while drawing, building, cutting, carving, and printing. The final impact of this process is at the heart of my work. I want to show the viewer my unexpected discoveries, the connections made, and the conclusions arrived at. These images are the road map to my journey.

Note: please click directly on the images in the Portfolio to get to more in depth descriptions