For a full list of exhibitions and professional experience please visit www.susannahmartin.de
Born in New York City U.S.A 1964
Bachelor of Science, Painting Major, New York University, Sehnap Scholarship for Painting
Self-employment as muralist and scenic artist
1991 Moved to Berlin
Self-employment as muralist and scenic artist in Germany
2004 Return to fine art and portraiture
A few of the most recent exhibitions:
2012 Galerie Stephan Stumpf, München, Germany Susannah Martin , Solo
2012 Monmouth Museum, 33rd Annual Juried, New Jersey, U.S.A.
2011 Galerie Fishpiece, " Morgenluft und schöne Maitli", Zürich, Switzerland
2011 Manifest Gallery, " NUDE 3", Cincinnati, U.S.A.
2011 Galerie Marzia Frozen, " Groß Berlin 2011", Berlin, Germany
2011 Soft Spot Gallery, " Alive", New York, U.S.A.
2011 Clatscop Art Center, " Au Naturel- The Nude in the 21st Century", Oregon, U.S.A.
2011 ART PARIS, Saatchi Top 128, Grand Palais, Paris
2011 Galerie Stephan Stumpf, " Die Verführkraft schöner Kunst", München
2010 Museo Civico di Alatri, Palazzo Gottifredo, " Contemporary Proposals for yound Collectors", Alatri, Italy
A few recent Publications:
2012 Creative Quarterly, " CQ26", The Journal of Art and Design, Charles Hively, Spring
2012 Manifest Press, " INPA- International Painting Annual" Cincinnati, U.S.A.
2012 World Wide Books, " International Contemporary Masters V", Los Angeles, CA
2012 Art Domain Verlag, Ulrich Himmelblau, " Who´s Who in Visual Art Vol 2012-2013" , Leipzig, Germany
2011 Art Takes Miami, Catalogue
2011 Humanitari Magazine, Leandro Sanchez, " Art of the Week by Susannah Martin" July 1
2011 Saatchionline Magazine, " Behind the Canvas-INterview with Susannah Martin", Los Angeles, CA June
2010 Art Profil, Erik Buchheister, " Susannah Martin-Spiegelung des Menschen" Stuttgart, Germany, April
www.susannahmartin.de
A few years ago, expanding my repertoire of painting people, I decided to take up the traditional theme of the nude in landscape. My first point of interest was to treat this subject in a contemporary manner by using, for example, a more "photographic" technique of cropping in my compositions as well as strong contrasts of light and "snapshot" or random gestures more typical of photography than of painting. At the same time I am attempting to maintain a tie to the long tradition of the painted nude as an art form through my use of calssical painting techniques.
The second and perhaps more important point of interest in persuing this theme is its´relevance in our current de-humanized society. I am interested in drawing attention to our relationship to our bodies in particular and to nature in general. The increasingly disturbed relationship between man and nature is at present what is behind the greatest threats to our well being, as well as
Why must the people be nude? The main reason why I have stripped the people of their clothes is so that I may remove all social indicators such as status, culture, political positions, etc., and exclusively confront the human being in his essential form , where he is in fact closer to nature. Likewise I have stripped them of their civilized environment, house, furniture, car, etc. in favour of their original environment. Every article of clothing, accessory, object that we aquire as good consumers, contributes to our idea of identity which we use as a type of protection. Our " stuff" allows us to feel as if we were more than what we really are; mortals. While the stuff may distract us comfortably from our mortality it also defines and separates us from one another, It is the things that we share, what we have in common, which brings us closer to one another, not our differences. What we all share is our physical presence of this earth , our mortality, and our collective consciousness. That is what I wish to focus on in my work.
