The Art of Patrick Martinez

During the Spring Street Art Walk in L.A. on 09/10/09 I came across Patrick Martinez's artwork in a tattoo parlor that had a gorgeous chopper in the window. Not my style, but it was a cool bike. Martinez was having a show and I discovered a real talent whose work really reflects his environment and times in a way similar to how Otto Dix captured the Weimer years in Germany with such an unflinching eye. Martinez's work is in the same tradition as the German Expressionists and it's riveting:

I don't remember the last time I saw a more disturbing painting than "High Fructose Corn Loca."

"Big Game Hunters" is another ferocious work updating 19th century hunting scenes for the 21st:

Like Dix, Martinez is also a talented portraitist. The painting below right is his brother, who was at the show:

He also works in neon and mixed media:

More information on Martinez, his work and upcoming shows can be found at patrickmartinez.com.

The show also featured photographs and clothing by LA artist/filmmaker Estevan Oriol, whose pictures of gangs and the culture surrounding them are simply chilling. His site is here.

If you live in LA and aren't attending this monthly event, you are missing out on one of the things that makes your city truly great.