The Adventurers: Martin Durazo at Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston

The Adventurers by Martin Durazo is presented as a solo exhibition at Barbara Davis Gallery in Houston. The opening day was Friday, January 6th, 2017, with an artist reception from 6:00 - 8:30 pm. 

Barbara Davis Gallery said that the exhibitions are on view through February 4, 2017, as stated in the gallery's official website. The Adventurers explores the concepts of travel, searching and the eventual spirituality of experiencing the uncharted. 

The exhibition takes inspirations from works of literature and films that explore travels through life and its goal to reveal a true reward. On the paintings, one can see marks that suggest mapping, recorded marks of time or some other counting actions on what is real or imagined idea with the likeness of water vessels which found drawn or printed on the surfaces of the canvases.

Active and vibrant transparent layers of paint are applied over other muted layers revealing marks that are lush with color and movement. Operating in this kind of manner allows for a continuous visual movement in the inherently static nature of painting. 

Intentionally, it makes the viewers feel hooked, fool, jest, cry and celebrate the journey. According to Artsy, Martin Durazo is a multi-media artist and curator who love to combine the visual dynamism of abstract expressionism with a modern view that inspired by the creative subcultures of graffiti writing, heavy metal music, and raves. 

By using squeegees and towels he can achieve energetic strokes instead of using paintbrushes. Martin Durazo received his Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Art from Pitzer College.

Durazo was awarded the 2012 C.O.L.A. Individual Artists Fellowship from the City of Los Angeles and a 2011 California Community Foundation Fellowship Award, funded by the Getty Trust.  His works have been reviewed in Flash Art International, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, LA Weekly, Artweek, and Art Review.  

TagsBarbara Davis Gallery, Martin Durazo, Art Exhibition, Literature and Films Exhibition, Multi Media Artist and Curator Martin Durazo, L.A Individual Artists Fellowship, California Community Foundation Fellowship Award