Athens based artist Adam Martinakis has captured the curiosity of his fans for years with his fragmented digital figures. He describes his imagery as “a connection between the spirit and the material, the living and the absent… I compose scenes of the unborn, the dead and the alive, immersed in the metaphysics of perception.” His inspiration is equally other-wordly; mysteries of the universe such as the event horizon. His subjects are shown in various stages of creation in scenes that evade time and space. In one piece “Materialized”, a floating figure in mid air seems to materialize out of liquid gold matter. Others show his interest in anatomical study and physical interaction. Despite his scientific influences, Martinakis’ art displays a highly personal and emotional range. Embracing lovers or siblings appear sturdy and fragile at the same time; wrapped in a strange armor that shatters when they touch. In anticipation of his upcoming exhibition at Pavart gallery, opening April 22nd, we take a look at his most recent works below.
detail
Kara Walker's recent Hyundai Commission is a 45-foot-high fountain at Tate Modern, exploring the historical tether between Africa, America and Europe with inspiration from the Victoria Memorial in London. Water, Tate says, has its own significance in the work, “referring to the transatlantic slave trade and the ambitions, fates and tragedies of people from these three continents.” The title of the work: “Fons Americanus.”
