In Conversation With Tristan Martinez
Portraits by Marge Rendell, Images of Art Courtesy of Tristan Martinez
Shortly before I was asked to do this interview, Tristan Martinez’s name came up in conversation with my editor.
“I didn’t realize you knew Tristan... I love that dude.” This wasn’t the first time I’d had an interaction like this. Tristan’s personality has a tendency to elicit that type of response from people, whether he knows it or not. As I’m writing this, I know I run the risk of sounding like an overzealous hype man, but there are truly only good things to report. Tristan possesses all the qualities of a ‘Cool Guy’ (multifaceted artist, advanced-proficient skateboarder, cool haircut?), but he will never ‘Cool-Guy’ you. You could be a so-called ‘celebrity skater’ or a painfully average ripper with a shallow bag (me). Tristan doesn’t care. Just keep up a good energy and he’ll match you all day. Given his reputation for nailing first impressions, we thought you’d like to get to know him a little better. We found a park bench in the West Village and got into it. You can check out his varied works, here.
I always thought of you as a photographer, but it seems like painting has become more and more centric, to your work. Is it a balancing act? Or kind of everything at once?
It's like everything at once, I guess. I went to school for photo, specifically. My interest was always photo and my references were all photo-based. And then I kind of realized that photography… It's taken seriously, but it's not at the same time. I don't know how to get deeper into that. But it's like, photos don't sell. Photo books are really overlooked, and I don't know… it's strange to be a photographer right now, where everyone likes to pick up a camera and do the thing. So I kind of transitioned into painting, but still use photography every day. And I think my photo practice has blended into [my] painting [practice]. Where painting is influenced or informed by my photo work and my old photo practice and like, my photo thinking.
A lot of your paintings seem like you're painting with a photographer's eye. Does that feel true?
Yeah for sure. When I make photographs I do a lot of zooming in to things and weird framing, and now that's what I'm trying to accomplish in my paintings. But I definitely think about composition and subject through the lens of photography.
I was gonna’ ask about that. It's almost an optical illusion. Both in your paintings and your photos there's a strong sense of observational humor in it, right?
Dude yeah, exactly.
The way you frame subjects expands that irony. And that's very characteristic of photo. But when do you know to bleed that into painting?
Hm, that’s a hard question. I guess I want to bleed that into painting because it's in the painting sphere, but it’s so much more prevalent in photo. Because everything here is funny, you know? Like, it's so much easier to capture that.
Do a lot of your paintings start as photos?
Yeah, I'd say all of them have started from photos. Usually I collect lots of different photos from around the city, and then I’m really good at post-production and everything, so with that, I can do a really rough post work and then get a mock-up of what I want on screen, and then translate that to a canvas. So it's very much in-world but I'm still like, piecing things together and making my own true vision. Where like photo you can do that, but it's a little bit more difficult to make it as sleek and believable.
Conversely, some of your works are… I don't want to say this the wrong way. Graphics-based? Like “Seeing in a Pitch Black Room”. How do those works come about?
Shit’s funny (laughs) I don’t know, it’s really just funny. That was an early painting- I like text a lot and that was a test for figuring out how to incorporate text, irony and humor into painting. I ended up really liking it but that’s like just a straight meme, basically.
I was going to call it a meme but I didn't want that to come across in a minimizing way (laughs).
No, I don't think that it minimizes it at all. Makes it way better.
You do these graphics-based paintings, and [photo-based] paintings. I feel like a lot of artists don't do such drastically different things, while maintaining that it still feels like [it's from the same person]. Does it feel like a pendulum shift or a balance?
I think it's like a balance. A lot of painting is also testing things out and seeing what accomplishes the narrative you want to convey. In general you're like, getting an encapsulation of my head, I guess. Kind of all over the place. Some things are full scenes, and others are zoomed-in snapshots… others are memes I guess. No matter what they compliment each other.
You mentioned it's [an encapsulation of your head]. It's like if we were skating, you'd point to something and be like, “Oh, isn't that funny?” That's what your work feels like to me.
No, that's exactly what I'm trying to do though. That's always a conversation I've been interested in, even with photography. All my work has really started off from “Oh, that's funny”. And then piecing things together and flushing it out to be more conceptual or whatever. And I'm just trying to own that. That's what I'm wanting to do, is bring humor to everyone.
“Not everybody wants to be bummed out looking at serious art all the time. And you can still make something that’s evoking without telling the viewer exactly how they are supposed to be feeling. That’s what I’m trying to accomplish now, finding the balance, I guess.”
But you've also done more serious commentary on the American West. The shrinking middle class I think was a theme you had mentioned. Do you ever feel a sense of, “I need to do something more serious?”
I think that there is an inherent need to point out issues and have that as a conversation point when it comes to making work. But I don't think it needs to be so in your face. A lot of my earlier stuff was really about that. Like, only focused on [the more serious stuff]. Like the shrinking middle class or capitalism and issues with America. But now I think those underlying concepts are present in everything I make without being so overt, you know? Because not everybody wants to be bummed out looking at serious art all the time. And you can still make something that’s evoking without telling the viewer exactly how they are supposed to be feeling. That’s what I’m trying to accomplish now, finding the balance, I guess.
A lot of artists are solely focused on their identity. But when I look across work, it all feels very outward facing. You get a sense of who you are, based on what you're finding amusing in your subjects. But it's not an overt commentary on yourself. Is that something you think about?
Yeah, I have thought about that. My work is very accessible to any viewer who comes across it, it sort of defies time and place. I am interested in eventually looking inward and focusing on, not so much myself, but more like my history or my parents and like my dad, like bringing that into the conversation. My dad came to the States when he was nine years old from Colombia. And just like, he's told me a ton of stories that are just so different from my upbringing, and also so different from my mom's upbringing. And then I like I haven't figured out how to incorporate that in without coming across super serious, like previous work. I just haven't unlocked that one yet (laughs). I've been thinking about that for a really long time. I've thought about like photo series that have to tie in with that. And like, a ton of different things. I just like, I'm not sure what angle to go.
Yeah. I mean, there's more gravity to something like a lineage – oh I think we’re getting the boot.
[Park security kicked us out and we had to relocate at such an inopportune time – we were a little derailed]
We were talking about, whenever you're making art about lineage, especially if you have parents who immigrated here, there's more gravity to it. And so you feel like you have to have it perfect before you publish anything?
Yeah. And just my understanding and lived experience in America is different than my Colombian roots, I wouldn’t want to speak to something when it isn’t my place. Like, I don't speak Spanish. My Abuelita, she only spoke Spanish. I understood her when I was little and then when I grew up, I just lost that communication. I guess I'm just an American shit head now (laughs).
I think without properly understanding where they come from, it sounds like you want to be careful about trivializing it for your own artistic pursuits?
Yeah cause then it’s just like cherry-picking, and you're just doing it because it's like, that's also very in vogue in art. It's like, “you're marginalized, make marginalized work”. At least that was a thing I noticed, and also certain galleries definitely have a roster that they're trying to just like… I’m not gonna’ like… (laughs)
No of course, and obviously that is very important. But you don't want to jump ahead of it until you really understand [you’re being true to your family and their past?] It sounds like?
Exactly. Yeah.
When I see art that speaks to somebody's heritage, that’s powerful to witness. But it can be harder to participate as a viewer when things are so personal. Something that I like about your practice is that it's very inviting. Like the New York Tour example (on your Instagram). I know it’s not in your portfolio, but I think it encapsulates who you are as an artist.
Yeah. I like the Statue of Liberty in that carousel also. That’s a clay miniature that I photographed in like a gas station parking lot in Ohio. Irony is everywhere and the illusions are everywhere. I think it goes without saying that people don't take the time to actually pay attention to the world around them or understand this is funny but this is also messed up, like why are we celebrating this [skyline] on a truck? There's still a certain amount of seriousness to it even if it's funny because you should think about it. Like what’s really going on here? One of my favorite photographers, Chris Maggio, really nails that. His [photo] series, “Hot as Hell in Midtown” from 2016. All his work is super ironic, really funny. And also zoomed in and over the top with, like decline in society quote-unquote. That's what his shit is about and it’s sick.
On that note, is there anything that's inspiring you right now? Anything you're working on that we haven't talked about?
Yeah, I mean, I’ve been painting a lot, as always. I’m going to be in a group show coming up in August, and something coming up with Shelter Gallery in the Lower East Side soon too. So yeah, just working towards stuff. Staying busy in the studio.
Any words to live by?
Pay attention to everything. There's a lot to see. Take advantage of it. Take advantage of seeing.