FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Doug Martin

 The Ochre Quarry
July 11 - August 16, 2002

Inspired by the enigmatic forms found in an ochre quarry in Roussillon, France, this series delves deeper into landscape themes that DOUG MARTIN has been exploring in recent years. Known for his paintings of upstate New York, this new work is a departure both geographically and visually. His palette of warm and cool neutrals is here infused with the vibrant warm colors of Provence. Started last spring while teaching near Lacoste, these works were painted with pigments gathered at the ochre quarry itself.

All of MARTIN's paintings start out with direct observation; some are finished with an expressiveness and brevity, which demonstrate his abstract roots, others become fuller and more literal. At first glance, the paintings appear as tranquil scenes. A closer look, however, reveals that the artist has deconstructed and re-assembled each work into both naturalistic and abstract passages. Some areas dissolve into loosely painted surfaces, while others standout with minute detail. With his early background in abstraction and his romantic sense of place, DOUG MARTIN's paintings are contemporary expressions of the landscape tradition.

Born in Kansas, DOUG MARTIN currently lives and works in New York City. MARTIN's work is included in distinguished public collections including the Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA; Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE; and Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

The exhibition will be on view at the Charles Cowles Gallery, 537 West 24th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues in Chelsea. Summer hours are 10am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

There will be a reception for the artist on Thursday, July 11 from 5-7 pm.

For further information or photographs, please contact the gallery.