Eddie Martinez’s drawing practice blends seamlessly with his daily life as the New York-based artist carries pen and paper with him on the subway, to the doctor’s office, and to restaurants and lectures, among other work and leisure events. Stylistically evocative of mid-century abstraction, Martinez’s drawings bring their own complexity, plugging a rotating cast of characters into raw, vigorously-drawn landscapes: cartoon ducks, oversized eyes, coiled snakes, and anthropomorphic blocks of color are among his itinerant motifs. In his Brooklyn studio, Martinez maintains a “drawing wall,” wherein sketches ranging in size, shape, and material serve simultaneously as a source of inspiration and a data bank for the artist’s incessant imaginative output. The Drawing Center’s forthcoming exhibition Eddie Martinez: Studio Wall, will bring the drawing wall to the museum. The artist will paper the gallery with thousands of sketches that he will change throughout the exhibition’s run. In addition, several large drawings and paintings will be hung on top of these sketches allowing viewers to observe the interconnection between all aspects of Martinez’s practice.

Organized by Claire Gilman, Chief Curator.