Ambivalent

About J. Kent Martin

J. Kent Martin (b. 1967) is a Springfield, Missouri–based abstract painter whose work is inspired by aerial views of farmland and the structured patterns of roads and urban streets. His mixed-media paintings translate these landscapes into layered compositions of intersecting forms, textured surfaces, and weathered marks that suggest both physical terrain and human presence. Working with repurposed materials, Martin builds each piece through a process of accumulation and erosion—applying, scraping, staining, and reworking layers of material to reveal traces of earlier gestures. The resulting surfaces evoke the passage of time and the evolving relationships between land, community, and movement. Having spent his professional life in the home furnishings industry and now a home furnishings designer, Martin’s work reflects a sensitivity to architecture, materiality, and spatial design. His...

Artist Statement

My work explores the intersection between structure, landscape, and human experience. Inspired by aerial views of farmland and the ordered patterns of roads and city streets, my paintings translate these landscapes into layered abstract compositions. From above, fields, intersections, and neighborhoods reveal the quiet geometry that shapes how we move through the world and connect with one another. Each painting develops through a process of layering, scraping, erosion, and staining. I work with a variety of materials, allowing them to interact and respond to one another as the surface evolves...

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