The white walls of the expansive Oliver Gallery at the University of South Florida got a touch of color, texture and culture this week, courtesy of artist Mark Martinez’s solo exhibit, Native Tongue.
A dynamic synthesis of painting, sculpture and textile work, Native Tongue has been a work in progress since last spring, when Martinez created the first piece, “Study #3,” as an assignment for his advanced painting course.
Delving into his fascination with Native American culture and South/Central American textiles, Martinez, who will receive his BFA in studio art this fall, created pieces that were a departure from his previous work. Since deciding to pursue a career in art in 2008, Martinez has mainly worked in the vein of stylized, figurative street art.
This article appears in Sep 15-21, 2011.