“Tantalus-Salt” by V. Kim Martinez, 2021
48”x36” Flashe on Canvas attached to wood panel
“Tantalus-Salt” by V. Kim Martinez, 2021
48”x36” Flashe on Canvas attached to wood panel
ON THE COVER /
Painting and Drawing Professor, V. Kim Martinez, is the Chair of the Department of Art & Art History and a 2021 recipient of the Governor's Mansion Artist Award. These works of hers were exhibited in the faculty show at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.
In her words:
“‘Tantalus’ is based on my experiences walking through communities that have been impacted by industrial waste. Walking within the margins of this rigid space allowed me the capacity to perceive others in myriad ways, all of which are now dependent not on preconception but on circumstances and experiences. Walking becomes a metaphor for communication, the transfer of meaning from one place to another, isolating pieces of information, repeating them, changing scale, altering and highlighting
color, and in doing so, revealing the hidden structures of environmental injustice that can persuade our thoughts and maintain power structures. Walking allows me to question people I encounter, providing me with new questions that directly inform the paintings.
I regard the fundamental tenant of a painting is to ask a question and then allow the viewer the freedom to formulate an infinite number of responses. I define situations in space; they are not literal but rather intellectual concepts. The paintings reflect structural and textural metaphors. For me, the definition of space is predicated on human presence and initiative. Formally, my material application is firmly controlled; this technique indicates a somber attempt at objectivity.”
Much art is made to depict our relationship with our world. Whether from a feeling, a memory, a vision, or hope — the art we make often expresses how we relate to others, to ourselves, and our surroundings. It reflects our perceptions. Our love. Our dissent.
There, too, is an art to the act of relating genuinely and positively to others and our environments. Each of us is in a constant state of learning when it comes to how we interact with those in our midst, and how our presence impacts the spaces and places we go.
In the CFA, we take on that practice of relating with great sincerity.
Because when we think of our ability to learn, share, and work — which involves risk, humility, and bravery — we understand how deeply important it is that people know they belong.
Our ability to succeed is significantly impacted by our relationships to the people around us. Acceptance builds trust. Trust builds courage. Courage can make great art.
In these stories, you will discover art that depicts our relationship to land, our relationships to our bodies, to our colleagues, to our careers, and to our understandings of our own identities.
We hope you, too, find ways to relate to this work and our stories. ■
