The Wall Series

Jeff Martin's 'Favignana Series' spanning from 1999 to 2006, was based on the observations of a small fishing community and the environment that defined them. In early 2006, Jeff decided it might be challenging to look at the environment that defined him. He started with two simple questions, 'how did I become who I am and why must I create'. Artists are naturally self-involved individuals, so this is not such an extraordinary or unusual idea.

This process of many months eventually lead back to those informative years of school where we are all molded for our role in society. Jeff attended more than his fair share of educational institutions and he saw school as a constant, unexplained obstacle, in his path to something else. As a child, he was an observer. Obviously an asset to any artist, but at the time it was more of a survival technique, as he was constantly assessing and adapting to new environments due to the family's movements.

"I don't have an issue with this, what I lost in educational continuity I gained in adaptation skills and lets face it who these days has one job or one career for life? I am very fortunate that I am now able do what I love and in this series I am celebrating that"

In this resulting body of work, now referred to as 'The Wall Series', the wall stands fast, solid and impenetrable, it is a constant in every painting. It represents the strength of the institution, which is unyielding, however the light indicates that there is a way around it. It has been referred to by some observers, as hope and destiny. The children in Martin's paintings fall under the shadows of the wall but are oblivious to it's presence. They serve to date the work and derive each from a childhood memory, but are almost irrelevant within the work. The drinking trough is also a constant in every work and has become the hero of this series. It hints at the environment being school and evokes strong memories for every generation even today's.

The exhibition was shown at Kozminsky gallery in March of 2007 and was a sell out success. Further works from this series were taken to both the Art Melbourne Fair and Art Sydney Fair of 2007.

Click here to view works