DIFFRACTION Painting

About the artist: Belgian born, Martine Martel studied painting in public art schools in Ghent and Brussels from early childhood on. Inspired by the Belgian masters of Modern Art, she turned professional when she moved permanently to Monaco after a career in academics and real-estate, an M.A.in Business and a Ph.D. in Economics from Brussels University. Martine Martel coined the term Aspirational Art to define her distinctive work that finds its poetic inspiration in the infinite skies and sea, away from the harsh realities of today’s world, and in contrast to the prevailing trends in contemporary art. Technique: Martine Martel works with oil on canvas, applied in a smooth texture in an apparent quest to soften the rough edges of contemporary life and its human drama. Her gossamer-thin glazes, layered in subtle variations of hues, alternately evoke the infinite depth of the universe or the rich translucency of stained glass. In effect, the bright Mediterranean light is IN the colour and dominates Martine Martel’s work. Currently Martine Martel also creates luminous artistic photographs from her oil paintings that she then edits as originals or publishes in small web-numbered and -registered limited series. Artist Statement: “The infinite sea and skies, the sun, the moon, and the stars are recurrent subjects in my work. Their ever-changing vistas provide me with an endless source of inspiration. But mostly, capturing in my colour glazes the bright Mediterranean light that I perceive from my high-perched city studio represents a cathartic act that brings me serenity and solace. With my work I aim to also appease the viewer and brighten his outlook in this overwhelmingly harsh world.”