Rubbing Salt Into Farm Wounds

While studying environmental science at University I developed an interest in Agricultural practices. Especially in relation to soil erosion and the function of the ecosystem to provide for farmers.
However, generally the arid conditions in remote areas of Australia for farmers to successfully cultivate food and provide livestock remains challenging at best.
In stark contrast to farming communities closer to town and city areas, who have more so readily available access to resources due to favourable conditions of climate stability, funding and support through representative farming bodies.
I mainly Blended pastels as the main medium so it brings out more available textures for the soil and the sky. The isolated fence post against a barren background represents the continual struggle of man conversing (working with/against) nature. But still the post is akin to the last vestige of man taking the continual effort to provide using what he can do to the best of his ability throughout time immemorial. Even with the vastness of the harsh arid environment dwarfing the landscape where the post is situated, mans construct still remains intact. An ode to his continual struggle to provide for an ever-growing population.
This work should lift any room due to its vibrancy of texture and colour.

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Marten has been practicing as a self taught artist with Art Theory and practical lessons learnt from private tutoring and mentoring. He gained an interest in art during his teenage years glossing over the works of the known, but deceased artists of Hieronymus Bosch and Goya. To further develop his skills he joined the Access Arts Organization from 2008 learning other theories, approaches and styles of artwork.

His focus shifted towards exploring different boundaries in society adding elements and perspectives such as religion, philosophy, human self-sacrifice, alienation, acceptance and struggle to his work. By doing so he reveals both the positive and negative sides of human nature as the driving force and motivation behind his artwork.
Engaging viewers toward reflecting and interpreting the subject matter in a positive and open-minded manner, helps to reveal the hidden ranges of emotions we carry on a daily basis.

He has displayed artwork at past fundraising events called 'Stages of Life Exhibition' held at Jugglers Artist Space, Fortitude Valley including 2013 MIFQ's (Mental Illness Foundation QLD) 22nd Annual Art Exhibition called 'Kaleidoscope'.
After other displays at smaller private Art Organization galleries, he received an Exhibitionist Finalist Award in the AFTM (Art From The Margins) 'National Biennial Outsider Art Awards 2019' for his work 'Recycling the Problem'. The medium used for this work was a wood lathe, Carving a Jacaranda tree into the wooden bowl with a carving tool and then using pyrography to stencil the outlines of my carving. The Bowl I originally machine lathed from the stump of a Jacaranda tree itself.

The work displayed in these galleries as donations, were primarily focused to raise community awareness of mental health issues and the changing of attitudes in society towards peoples differences.
His work nowadays, predominantly focuses on the 'Cycle of Life' Philosophy. Loosely encompassing Buddhist concepts of birth, life, death, re-birth (re-generation) in our everyday personal lives including of other life forms and the world around us.

Mediums used throughout his career range from a mixture of Acrylic based paints, ink, pastel, pencil and utilizing Multimedia platforms such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
Only recently has he adopted other elements into his work by creating wood ornamental carvings/sculpting's by repurposing wooden materials.

Through collaboration with my fellow artists in the Access Arts and Art From the Margins (AFTM) organizations, I have gained a unique insight into their world and the possibilities of what has molded them into the people they are today.
Art is more than just a concept and expression. Personally, it is a continual seeking of our own truths within the uncertainty of change.