Jason Martin creates sensual, nearly three-dimensional paintings composed of rich colour layers in a single hue. His foremost paintings are often the result of a single, masterful brush stroke - as is the case with the painting in the auction: Zizou. In order to achieve the perfect brush stroke, Jason Martin paints with an extremely wide brush; it is impossible to fix or correct the brush stroke afterwards.
The interaction between the angle of the light and the patterned surface creates reflections, a spectrum of colours, which in turn introduces a three-dimensional element to this monochrome painting. In an interview, Martin explains, “I want my work to have the authority of a sculpture, but manifest the way a painting does,” (Jason Martin quoted in Allan Woods’ interview, “Jason Martin. Interview”, in Transcript, Vol. 2 , No. 3, pp. 44-45).
Martin is dedicated to abstract expressionism and influenced by minimalism and calligraphy, with a clear focus on the painting process and the intensely expressive movement that runs throughout his work. Although his paintings appear to straddle the boundary between graphic art and wall-mounted sculptures, Jason Martin’s titles like Valiant, Alpha, Zizou, Nocture and Genus make references to both cultural and scientific knowledge, suggesting an interest in the universe around us.