Vecinos
Jet Martinez
Vecinos by Jet Martinez
Fine art Giclée print on cold-press watercolor paper
16 x 20 Inches
Limited Edition of 50
Limited Edition of 50
Signed & numbered
Hand-embellished
Printed with ♡ by Paragon Press
Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery
"Vecinos" highlights coral reefs, the rainforests of the sea. While coral reefs cover less than 1% of Earth's surface, they provide a sheltered home to about 25% of marine fish species. However, in the past 50 years, the health of the world's reefs has declined significantly due to human-induced changes such as rising sea temperatures and increasingly acidic waters. It is estimated that 58% of the world's coral reefs are potentially threatened by human activity and that More than 80% of the world's shallow reefs are severely over-fished.
Learn more about coral reefs here:
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/oceans/corals/
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/oceans/corals/
Artist Statement
"The core of my practice stems from my interest in locating folk art’s place in a globalized world. I seek to create a multi-cultural dialogue that explores the consistencies of visual culture throughout time, beginning with ancient artisans and extending to contemporary artists. I was convinced from an early age growing up in Cuernavaca, Mexico that communities can be sustained through art making. Like the craftspeople who integrate life into the creation of ceramics and textiles—nothing less than a certain form of magic—I embrace the imperfections of the handmade—the organic forms and vibrant colors which have the power to remove the individual identity of the artist in favor of a more universal expression of “folk art.”
By uniting the imagery of traditional Mexican folk art with the vernacular of urban contemporary art, I’m trafficking in the nuanced relationship between artistic tradition and global influences, in the process finding the relationship between community and culture. The lineage of west coast mural work looms large in my practice: art functioning as a symbol of resistance, transforming overlooked spaces into something beautiful—a daily revolution in the form of creating. "
By uniting the imagery of traditional Mexican folk art with the vernacular of urban contemporary art, I’m trafficking in the nuanced relationship between artistic tradition and global influences, in the process finding the relationship between community and culture. The lineage of west coast mural work looms large in my practice: art functioning as a symbol of resistance, transforming overlooked spaces into something beautiful—a daily revolution in the form of creating. "
- Jet Martinez
Artist Bio
An influential figure in Bay Area public art, Oakland-based artist Jet Martinez (b. 1973) is known for creating vibrant works of art that engage the traditions of Mexican folk art with contemporary aesthetics. Originally from the small beach town of Tuxpan, Veracruz, Mexico, and raised in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Martinez takes inspiration from his native culture’s rich traditions of pottery, weaving, and embroidery, enlivening the rigid architecture of urban environments with ornate patterns and abstract forms.
A fellow of the Kala Art Institute, in Berkeley, CA with his wife, Kelly Ording, Martinez’s work has been exhibited internationally at Joseph Gross Gallery, 111 Minna Gallery, White Walls Gallery, Museo de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, and Syracuse University, among others. His murals have been commissioned in locales as diverse as Oaxaca, New Orleans, Brazil, and Zurich, and by the San Francisco Arts Commission/San Francisco General Hospital, the cities of Denver, Colorado and San Jose, California, and companies such as Facebook, Hilton, Kiehl’s, John Fluevog and Red Bull.
Martinez served as the director of San Francisco’s acclaimed Clarion Alley Mural Project (CAMP) for 10 years from 2004 to 2014. His work with CAMP has been integral to the creation and preservation of public art in the Mission District, a historically Latino neighborhood known as a bastion for underground arts and culture.
A fellow of the Kala Art Institute, in Berkeley, CA with his wife, Kelly Ording, Martinez’s work has been exhibited internationally at Joseph Gross Gallery, 111 Minna Gallery, White Walls Gallery, Museo de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, and Syracuse University, among others. His murals have been commissioned in locales as diverse as Oaxaca, New Orleans, Brazil, and Zurich, and by the San Francisco Arts Commission/San Francisco General Hospital, the cities of Denver, Colorado and San Jose, California, and companies such as Facebook, Hilton, Kiehl’s, John Fluevog and Red Bull.
Martinez served as the director of San Francisco’s acclaimed Clarion Alley Mural Project (CAMP) for 10 years from 2004 to 2014. His work with CAMP has been integral to the creation and preservation of public art in the Mission District, a historically Latino neighborhood known as a bastion for underground arts and culture.
