Jel Martinez: Taking Street Art to the Next Level

JEL MARTINEZ (b.1976) is a Cuban American artist, born and raised in Miami, Florida.

Martinez’s practice began with making graffiti art in the late 1980s as an original member of the Ink Heads Crew.

Observing the paradox wherein metropolitan cleanup crews remove one form of art graffiti only to give rise to another, his current artistic vision is deeply rooted in the process of vandalism removal. In his more traditional paintings, he merges earlier artistic influences with a figurative style known as “buffs,” bestowing upon his work a distinct post-modern aesthetic. These “buffs” manifest as contemporary patterns that also have a dialogue with Abstract Expressionism.

His canvases mirror the intricate layers found outdoors in the urban environment. His artistic language incorporates elements of texture, acrylic, enamel, oil, and ink. These materials converge to form a mosaic of free-floating patches of color, akin to the buffs found in urban settings.

— https://jelmartinez.com/

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