NEW YORK, NY.- In Riding High, an exhibition of intimately-scaled paintings by Heather Gwen Martin, light plays a leading role in the lyrical and vividly hued abstractions. With this body of work, Martin was particularly inspired by the Los Angeles cityscape and the subtle tonal shifts in sunlight and shadows that she patiently observes through her studio window.

Martin instinctually builds worlds that interweave nuanced color, biomorphic forms, and lissome lines. Structure balanced with a sense of movement and spontaneity creates a characteristic tension in the work, as forms push, pull, and recede within the picture plane.

There is a heaviness to these small works, due in part to the density of spatial relationships; all of Martin’s paintings, regardless of size, retain the same aspect ratio. “The closeness of the forms amps up the torrent of activity within her compositions,” writes Julie Baumgardner in the catalogue essay, “There’s not as much room for light and opacity to dance (or duel). This time, light shines.”

Heather Gwen Martin (b. 1977 in Saskatoon, Canada) studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL and the University of California, San Diego, CA.

Martin has been the subject of recent solo and two-person exhibitions at the University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, FL; Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY; L.A. Louver, Venice, CA; Murals of La Jolla, La Jolla, CA; and Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Culver City, CA.

Her work has been included in group exhibitions at the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA; Claremont Lewis Museum of Art, Claremont, CA; Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN; Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA; Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH; Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA; University Art Gallery, University of California, San Diego, CA, and elsewhere.

Martin’s work may be found in the collections of the Equinor Art Collection, Houston, TX; Hallmark Art Collection, Kansas City, MO; Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA; and the Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH.

She lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.

Miles McEnery Gallery
Heather Gwen Martin: Riding High
December 14th, 2023 - February 3rd, 2024