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The Artist
Barbadian born Martin Field, made his official fine art debut in 1990
with a 55 oil painting exhibition at the grand salle Central Bank of
Barbados at the invitation of Rosalind Allyne. |
| The one man show ‘MESSAGE’ was a success and three other
shows followed between 1990-1996, the main themes of these shows
were related to the changing local and regional social-sphere and
projections for the future. | |
| These were "MESSAGE", "MESSAGE and HOPE", "HOPE and
SUNSHINE", "SUNSHINE and REFLECTIONS". 1990 also saw his only
entry into the competition section of N.I.F.C.A. when he received Silver and bronze prize
s. Invitations to exhibit in B’dos New York and London followed, but arm pains from too
much painting made it difficult to respond. During this
dark time the artist studied tennis, another passion, and got by on a small income teaching national developmental tennis for what were very difficult years. | |
| By the end of ‘Sunshine and Reflections’ severe arm injury resulted from overwork
with knife, pen brush and racquet, and he went into a reclusive period, due to arm injury . In 2003-2004 partial healing occurred, and he regained skillwith the brush. | |
| Martin was influenced at a young age by the light and dark style of Rembrandt and
this is evident in some of his work. Yet it has always been the subject matter rather than
the style or technique which has been more important to him. This is obvious in the wide
choice of subject matter, which actually dictates quite a variety in technique. He uses
airbrush, brush, pen, knife, oil and acrylics, and employs realism, abstraction, illustration
stylized and combinations of all. His work comes mostly on canvass, but also on metal,
glass, wood and card.
The show ‘ SEA WOMEN’, and the European trip that followed signaled the formal start
of his much delayed international exposure, and while his work depicts Caribbean
scenery, it also depicts contemporary issues of Global interest, using mostly the female
form. “The steady theme running through my work is about beauty and transcending
barriers”. |
| Between 2000- 2005 the artist wrote and published a book on the connection
between emotion and success, using tennis as a model. ‘Fearless Tennis’ was released
at the show REFLECTIONS and PROJECTIONS Sept. 2005 at the Central Bank.
“ The show and the book marked the passing of a dark and painful period, yet one of
great learning and spiritual growth, I’ve experienced and studied many things in my life,
and have learnt some hard lessons, it’s great to be back being who I am naturally...an artist”.
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