Javier Martin is a Spanish multidisciplinary artist who gave us the opportunity of interviewing him and find out more about him and his incredible masterpieces. As his website points out, he takes the time to see everything that surrounds him and sees “semiotic relationships that might otherwise pass by unnoticed to an unperceptive viewer”. After getting inspired by these things, he then “constructs situations that invite reflection on impending matters in today’s world”.
Q: What does art mean to you and why did you decide to pursue a career in this field?
A: Art for me is everything. My first contact with art was when I was seven and I began painting with oil colors. I struggled in school and in my personal life and painting for me was therapeutic. When I began taking this class my instructor allowed me the freedom to experiment so I always painted what I saw in my mind and my emotions. That moment, I believe, is when I discovered art and the power it possessed to transport me away from my reality. I did not focus on a particular style, at the time I just saw it as an opportunity to express myself. It was an organic decision. Art was always present in my life and it started growing little by little until it became my career path.
Q: How would you define your art?
A: I would define my art as a tool, a tool that I use not only to express my ideas and my way of thinking but also to communicate messages of different situations and make people think about their inner selves and also their outer self. I like to define my art as a mirror where people can see their own reflection.
Q: Art careers tend to be difficult. How were your early years?
A: As a self-thought artist, since I didn’t have the possibility to formally study, it becomes harder because I had to learn the techniques on my own and that means I have to put double the effort but I feel like all this effort made a great impact to the person I am now.
Q: Name one of your favorite projects and why.
A: One of my favorite projects was my first solo show at the Souls Museum, to be able to have a project where I was showing 12 years of my Blindness concept and seeing who all this work was encapsulated in such an important place and being able to share with everyone was a really gratifying experience.
Q: Which is the achievement you’re most proud of in your career?
A: To begin with, I have been a part of the history of art by having been included in the book “ The light in the art of the new millennium” by Sara Liuzzi. My first solo show at a Museum at the Seoul Museum. The most important achievement of them all is seeing the reaction when people see my work because that is a really important part of the career of an artist, getting your message to them and seeing how they react to it really fulfills you as an artist.
Q: How do you think your style evolves? How do you see yourself professionally and personally in a few years?
A: My style is really connected to the message I want to send, which is why is in constant evolution, at this moment I’m working on radical changes on my style that would be seen in the next coming years. In my personal life, I feel more connected to the place where I grew up and in the next coming years I might close a circle and return to creating where everything started.
Q: Would you encourage people to start a career in the art industry? Why?
A: Yes, as long as you are going into it because you feel it and you want to make art because you have a passion for it, but not if you go into it thinking of it as an industry. I think this is the most important tip for starting a career in the art industry.
Q: What has life taught you during your journey?
A: One of the most important things that I have learned is to understand the concept of time, to enjoy the journey to my goals, to be patient understanding that rushing is the worse enemy.
Exclusive interivew for Vanity Teen online!
