Untitled

2001

American, born 1970

Having grown up in Seattle, Cameron Martin’s work is deeply influenced by the Northwest landscape, and he has often looked to the photographs of 19th-century photographer Carleton Watkins for source imagery. More recently, the artist has begun to take his own photographs of various landscapes he seeks out. In this painting, however, Martin uses an image of a tree to explore the language of abstraction. In his highly-detailed representation of a London Plane tree, Martin’s image signals his exploration of the medium of painting rather than a desire to create a naturalistic portrait of an identifiable tree.

Oil on canvas

72 x 60 in. (182.9 x 152.4cm)

Gift of the ContemporaryArtProject, Seattle

2002.29

Provenance: The artist; [Artemis Greenberg Van Doren, New York]; ContemporaryArtProject, Seattle, Washington; to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2002

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, SAM Collects: ContemporaryArtProject, Dec. 21, 2002 - Apr. 6, 2003.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Reclaimed: Nature and Place Through Contemporary Eyes, June 30 - Sept. 11, 2011.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Reverberations: Contemporary Art and Modern Classics, Dec. 22, 2022 - ongoing.

Published ReferencesYoung, Tara, "SAM Collects: ContemporaryArtProject" 2002, Seattle Art Museum, 2002, pg. 50

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