City of Eternal Springtime

Shooting Gallery is pleased to present City of Eternal Springtime by Jet Martinez. The opening reception will be Saturday, February 8, from 7-11 pm, and the exhibition is free and open to the public for viewing through March 8, 2014.

With a title that is a direct reference to the artist’s hometown of Cuernavaca, Mexico (which brandishes the slogan “land of eternal springtime”) Oakland-based artist Jet Martinez makes it clear that we can expect an explosion of brightly-colored blooms in his new solo show consisting of 17 enamel and spray paint pieces ranging in size from 24 x 30” to 48 x 96”.

Continuing as the latest variations on a theme of paintings and murals based on Mexican Folk arts, the floral paintings set to fill the gallery were originally inspired by embroidery, textile and pottery patterns from Central and Southern Mexico. Through three distinct styles of floral work, City of Eternal Springtime is a nod to the simple beauty of nature. Whether through smooth ribbons of color, a thinner maze-like linework or short strokes of paint resembling an embroidery stitch, Martinez’ flowers seem to undulate in a perpetual breeze.

Part of the appeal of folk art is the handmade qualities of each piece, and for Martinez, this was a thought he held clear in his mind while working on the show, focusing as much on the texture and individual details as on the image itself. “Just as folk artists repeat traditional themes and patterns in their practice, they still give focus to the individual piece,” explains Martinez. “Although the individual piece is one of many like it, for the time that it is being created, it is the only one, and the artist tries to make it the best one yet.” Following in these footsteps, Martinez creates each new painting with the intent to instill a sense of the passion and deliberate care that went into it.

Full of luminous hues, City of Eternal Springtime was borne out of the artist’s desire to create an uplifting space, to set the stage for a happier place that is larger than life’s difficulties and monotony: “Not to shut out the ugly things in the world, but rather to remind myself of the good things worth grinding for.”

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Jet Martinez (b. Tuxpan, Veracruz, Mexico 1973) is a full time muralist and painter based in Oakland, California, where he lives with a much beloved and talented wife and two ridiculously energetic children.

After receiving a BFA in Painting and Printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute (before which he studied Spanish Literature at the University Of Colorado), Martinez acted as one of the directors of the Clarion Alley Mural Project in SF’s Mission District for nearly a decade.His paintings have been exhibited in various institutions and galleries including Syracuse University, Facebook HQ, MACLA (Museo de arte y cultura latino americana), Mesa Center for the Arts, SomArts, SF Arts Commission Gallery, White Walls, Project1 SF, and 111 Minna. His work has been featured in the New York Times and other well respected publications and books. In addition, the artist’s murals grace the walls of many public streets in the US and abroad in major cities including Oaxaca, Mexico; Zurich, Switzerland; and Florianopolis, Brazil. His murals have been commissioned by groups such as Facebook, Tipping Point Foundation, Red Bull, and Climate Works Foundation.Most recently, SF General Hospital commissioned a public piece for their new emergency department through the SF Arts Commission.