"Homeless" Painting

I am Gustavo Martínez, an Argentine visual artist. My practice centers on figurative painting and extends into sculpture, relief, and the construction of artworks in wood.

In my paintings, I focus primarily on portraits and the human figure, exploring character, expression, and presence through color, contrast, and the transformation of forms. My interest in simplifying figures also leads me to explore their geometric structures and their potential to become three-dimensional works.

Patterns, sequences, and contrasts between elements have been a lasting influence in my work. From geometric pavements and textile designs to construction toys and other forms of visual organization, I have long been drawn to the ways shapes, colors, and materials can be arranged, repeated, and transformed. These interests find expression in my wooden reliefs, sculptures, and constructed objects.

Wood plays an important role in my practice. I create reliefs, sculptures, artistic interpretations of automobiles, and sculptural lighting objects. In these works, I explore planes, blocks, geometric structures, repetition, and assembly, combining different woods, natural grain patterns, and contrasting tones to shape each composition. I also incorporate reclaimed wood, sometimes preserving selected marks and imperfections that reveal the material's previous life.

Although each medium offers different possibilities, my work is connected by an ongoing exploration of figurative forms, geometry, pattern, color, contrast, and material. Through painting and three-dimensional construction, I develop my own interpretations of the forms and structures that inspire me.