Donald Martiny American, b. 1953
(132.1 x 185.4 cm)
Further images
Donald Martiny has redefined the language of abstraction by liberating painting from the traditional constraints of the stretcher. His works—monumental, gestural forms executed in polymer and pigment—exist somewhere between painting and sculpture. Installed directly onto the wall, each form asserts itself as both image and object, activating the surrounding architecture and engaging the viewer in a spatial dialogue.
Martiny’s process is rooted in immediacy and physicality. Working on the floor of his studio, he pours, spreads, and manipulates industrial materials into sweeping, calligraphic gestures that record the movement of the body. Once cured, these forms are mounted individually on the wall, often in asymmetrical compositions that emphasize balance, tension, and rhythm. The result is an abstraction that feels simultaneously spontaneous and rigorously composed.
Martiny’s practice has been recognized through major institutional exhibitions and commissions, including presentations at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery (now known as Buffalo AKG Art Museum) and installations at the One World Trade Center, New York. These contexts underscore the architectural ambition of his work and its ability to command and transform large-scale environments.
In an era where painting is often confined to image circulation, Donald Martiny restores abstraction to a state of physical encounter. His works insist upon presence—upon gesture as substance and color as force—positioning him as a singular voice in the continuing evolution of contemporary painting.