Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaitlin Martin
Hi Kaitlin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a multidisciplinary artist currently based in North Miami. I have been an artist since I first picked up a crayon. I was born and raised in Massachusetts and went to the University of Maryland College Park where I received a BA in Art History and Art Studio. I lived and worked for many years in NYC, where I worked on my art, curated, and exhibited in many group shows in galleries, art fairs, and alternative spaces. I also have a background working in art galleries, museums, specifically museum retail at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and as an artist assistant for a number of New York based artists. I came to Miami for the first time in 2013 to work and participate as an exhibitor at Fridge Art Fair, which was held at PAX Miami on Calle Ocho in Little Havana. I curated a booth for gallery onetwentyeight and showed my first site specific mixed media installation; Bather in Miami, 2013, shower curtain, acrylic, safety pins, bamboo fence, chain link fence, sunset. It was my first time ever in Miami and was inspired by the sun, the heat, and the subtropical landscape. I found myself coming back every year for art week in December and eventually moved here. I am working and exhibiting again this year with Fridge Art Fair, which is returning to Miami Beach this December 3-8th.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Through the years I have found it challenging to balance earning a living with dedicating time to my art. While I’d love to work on my art full-time, the reality of today’s economy, especially in a city where rents and basic living costs keep rising, makes that difficult. I know I’m not alone in this; many artists and non-artists alike across the country are facing similar struggles. I would love to see more investment in artists at the local, state, and federal level, like they do in Europe, especially when it comes to housing. Many nonprofits have proposals for artist housing with live and work space, but many do not come to fruition because of lack of funding. The recent funding cuts to cultural institutions in Florida was a blow to many artists and creatives in this state, and I unfortunately see funding for the arts being cut further by the incoming administration.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My art work explores the intersections between mythology, the natural world, dreams, memory, and nostalgia. My art is created using a mix of traditional techniques and contemporary mediums; ink, drawings, paintings, and collage, combined with video, social media filters, photography, digital scans, Photoshop, and artificial intelligence, resulting in a unique fusion of the organic and the digital. Much of my work is experimental and conceptual. Recently I have been using Photoshop AI to create new digital versions of my existing work using drawings, paintings, photographs, and digital work from my archives combined with new work. I currently also work freelance for artists, art dealers, galleries, and art fairs.
Where do you see your industry going in the next 5-10 years?
Traditional art forms, such as painting, drawing, and sculpture will always have their place in the art world, but technology in art is evolving at a fast pace and is undoubtedly here to stay. I also see artists continuing to move away from the traditional blue-chip gallery model, where galleries and money often drive the conversation. More and more, artists are taking control of the narrative themselves, starting their own galleries, collectives, and nonprofits, and selling their work online on websites and social media, as well as in smaller independent art fairs. The trend of self-reliance in art is here to stay and artists will continue to innovate and find new ways to share and sell their work.
Contact Info:
- Website: kaitlinmartin.com
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/kaitlinjmartin/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/kaitlinmartinart/ - Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/@kaitlinmartin - Other: https://giphy.com/
kaitlinjmartin
Image Credits
Kaitlin Martin self portrait
Kaitlin Martin artwork in order
1. Artemis Mirror (Green & Red Hair), 2022
2. Three Dianas (Red, White & Blue), 2021
3. Artemis In Her Garden Apartment (QR Code/Silver Tile), 2024
4. Artemis In Her Garden Apartment (QR Code/Blue Terrazzo Tile), 2024
5. Artemis & Domitian (Turquoise), 2022
6. Domitian (Original Verdaille), 2017, oil on canvas
7. “Minerva came to me in a dream…she said she was leaving me” 96 A.C.E. Domitian (Make Rome Great Again/The Fall of Rome), 2018
8. The Emperor with Messy Energy, 2023
