Stripes, 2000	Flowers, 1999	Flag, 1998
Danger, 1999	Paint Remover, 1995	Lead Square, 1995
Asbestos Landscape, 1995	Oklahoma City, 1996	Diazinon, 1996

A R T I S T ' S   S T A T E M E N T   :   J e a n - M a r i e   M a r t i n   1 9 9 7

In my latest series of paintings entitled "Toxic Landscape" I try to address issues that transcend art. I am trying to expand the boundaries of abstract painting to include social and political issues, and to expose the hypocrisy of our government's handling of environmental issues.

I make beautiful abstract paintings using only toxic materials that are either banned on the market (but still in use and sold to individual or government agencies): asbestos canvas (for insulating commercial boilers), lead paint (for painting highway lines), copper paint (for to killing algae in the pleasure boating industry), or materials that are not banned but that are destroying our environment: fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, which was used in the bomb that destroyed the Federal building in Oklahoma City), pesticides (diazinon and malathion, and known to have major detrimental environmental effects).

There is a content to these paintings that belie their initial appearances; in their confrontation of environmental and political issues they strongly denounce the contradictions of a hypocritical society. I use the medium of painting to sensitize people to those issues.

I want as an artist to participate in the debate concerning our environment and the policies surrounding these issues.


A R T I S T ' S   R E S U M E   :   J e a n - M a r i e   M a r t i n   2 0 0 0

EDUCATION
PHD	New York University New York , U.S.A.
MFA	Pratt Institute Brooklyn, U.S.A.
ONE MAN EXHIBITIONS
1999	GALERIE LES TROIS POINTS , Montréal, Canada
1997	GALERIE LES TROIS POINTS, Montréal, Canada
1996	MERCER UNION , Toronto, Canada GAKERIE LES TROIS POINTS, Montréal, Canada
1994	GALERIE LES TROIS POINTS, Montréal, Canada
1992	GALERIE LES TROIS POINTS, Montréal, Canada KITCHENER/WATERLOO ART GALLERY, Kitchener/Waterloo , Canada GALERIE ACTION, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada
1990	GALERIE DU GRAND THEATRE, Quebec, Canada GALERIE LES TROIS POINTS, Montréal, Canada
1989	GLENDON GALLERY, Toronto, Canada LEO KAMEN GALLERY, Toronto, Canada
1988	PORT WASHINGTON LIBRARY ART GALLERY, Port Washington, U.S.A.
EXHIBITIONS
1997	ROBERT McLAUGHLIN GALLERY, Oshawa, Canada UQAM ART GALLERY, Montréal, Canada
1994	ISLIP ART MUSEUM, Islip, New York, U.S.A.
1991	SOHO CENTER FOR VISUAL ARTISTS, New York , U.S.A.
1990	ROTUNDA GALLERY, Brooklyn, U.S.A.
1984	HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM, Yonkers, U.S.A.
1981	CHAUTAUQUA MUSEUM, Chautauqua, U.S.A.
1980	WASHINGTON SQUARE GALLERY, New York, U.S.A.
GRANTS
	Canada Council 1981, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1996
	Québec Art Council 1979, 1985, 1989, 1991