Jel Martinez

JEL MARTINEZ

CUBA / UNITED STATES

Jel Martinez, Cuban American born in 1976 in Miami, Florida, currently resides and creates within the vibrant urban landscape of Miami. His artistic vision is deeply rooted in the intriguing process of vandalism removal. Martinez’s practice originated from graffiti art in the late 80s as an original member of the Ink Heads Crew. He astutely observes the paradox wherein metropolitan cleanup crews dismantle one form of art only to give rise to another. In his paintings, he seamlessly merges earlier artistic influences with a figurative style known as “buffs,” bestowing upon his work a distinct post-modern aesthetic. These “buffs” manifest as contemporary patterns, resulting in a captivating visual tapestry.

Drawing from his immersion in modern-day contemporary culture, Martinez infuses his work with a fresh interpretation of expressionism. His canvases mirror the intricate layers found in the urban environment. His artistic language incorporates elements of texture, acrylic, enamel, oil, and ink. These materials converge to form a mosaic of free-floating patches of color, akin to the buffs found in urban settings.

Martinez’s artistic journey is a dynamic interplay of creation and deconstruction. His paintings extend an invitation for viewers to partake in the daily dialogues woven into the fabric of the urban environment, where layers of expression converge and converse with its inhabitants.

His most recent paintings draw inspiration from the texture and history of city walls. He takes it a step further, as though you were zooming in on a wall that’s undergone a “buffing” process but still retains the reminiscence of peeling walls, revealing a history of artistic expressions.

In these pieces, you can witness the layers of colors, the natural wear and tear from weathering, and the peeling of paint over time. These paintings are the result of a process involving layering, marking, removing, and embracing decay, all woven into one visual story.