His original work can be found in private collections and institutions with solo exhibitions featured in cities from Tokyo to LA, London to New York. Martin's work features festivals, projects and walls globally. Whether immersing entirely or embellishing a detail, the images disappear beneath expressive, spray-painted strokes of assorted colours and textures. True to form, no gray space stays gray for long in Martin's presence. The ashen tones of the compositions and vacant backgrounds are reminiscent of his alternative canvases, the concrete. This mural was inspired by the 1946 painting 'The Son of Man' by Belgian surrealist René Magritte. Almost stylised, these minimal figures are constructed of a few layers of hand-cut stencils. In many of Martin Whatsons pieces, the artist re-imagines classical artworks for a contemporary audience. Delicate and organic characters feature butterflies, ballerinas and animals all rendered in empty grayscale space. With as many works on walls as on canvas and paper, the relationship between vulnerability and strength remains constant in each work. In the early 2000’s, this interest in layers became more literal with the introduction of stencils into his work. The same deconstructive processes can be seen in his creative influences of Jose Parla and Cy Twombly. The physical architecture of the city was a constant inspiration, the elaboration and destruction of each generation contributing to the urban infrastructure. 1984) is of a younger generation of street artists and as such perhaps never experienced the nervous thrill of working under very strict graffiti laws, as over the years these laws have become increasingly relaxed. He looks for inspirations in city landscapes and old soon to be demolished buildings. Martin has a continuous urge to search for beauty in what is commonly dismissed as ugly, out of style or simply left behind. Growing up in Oslo Norway, Martin was an active part of the emerging graffiti scene of the early 90’s which at the time maintained zero tolerance. 1984) is a Norwegian born and based stencil artist. His works can be seen to mirror the rise and fall of the streets, as he symbolically recreates the urban environment, then vandalises it to reveal his vibrant transformations. The pop-up exhibition will be on display from the 3rd through the 12th of December 2020. Over the past decade, Martin has developed an unmistakable aesthetic combining abstract movement with figurative stencilled compositions. Our friends from RexRomae Gallery will hold a pop-up exhibition in Dubai showcasing brand new artworks of Norwegian stencil artist, Martin Whatson. Martin Whatson (1984) is a Norwegian street artist best known for his calligraphic scribbles in grayscale voids.
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