Tamara Gonzales & Chris Martin

Talking All Morning

January 18 - March 13, 2021

CHECKLIST AVAILABLE HERE

The Pit is pleased to announce “Talking All Morning”, a new two person exhibition by New York based artists Tamara Gonzales and Chris Martin.  The exhibition consists of eleven new paintings made during 2020 by the artists.  This is the first focused presentation of the artists’ work together. 

The works of Tamara Gonzales and Chris Martin share overlapping thematic interests ranging from spirituality and philosophy to specific moments in art history as well as subcultural influences such as music and film.  Given that the two artists are life partners, it’s not surprising that their interests and shared experiences would result in a dialogue between their studio practices.  Both artists are long time and influential figures in the early Brooklyn New York artistic community, where they have lived and worked since the 1980’s.  The exhibition’s title “Talking All Morning” is a nod to their relationship, one that many couples can relate to, of having a specific time of day carved out for discussion with each other.  In the context of this exhibition, the idea of a continued dialogue between the artists takes on new relevance as the means of expression becomes purely aesthetic as the paintings create a vibrant discourse among one another in the shared environment.  Although all the works for this project were created in a relatively short time frame, the exhibition also provides insight into the two artists multi-decade conversation.

The paintings of both Chris Martin and Tamara Gonzales push against classification in favor of spontaneity.  In this exhibition Martin’s paintings are mostly abstract except for two moments of collaged imagery contained within his colorful and dripping canvases.  In turn, Gonzales’ paintings have a central figurative element whether it’s a full totemistic body, or merely a smiling face placed on an abstracted brush of color.  The mark making and compositional elements of both artists appear to be constructed with a gleeful speed.  These canvases are bright, bold, and teaming with color.  Repeated, as well as refracted, framing devices are found throughout the canvases.  Each artist’s unique aesthetic language echoes in moments within the other’s paintings.  Both artists make continued references to moments of nature with abstracted trees, sunbursts, vines, leaves, astral bodies such as the moon and stars, and bodies of water.  The inclusion of elemental influences runs throughout the histories of both artists’ paintings, and comes as no surprise in this exhibition as most of the works were constructed at their secondary studios found in the Catskill mountains, where the two spent much of the year during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.  

A live digital conversation between the two artists and a moderator will be hosted by The Pit during the run of the exhibition.  More details forthcoming.

Inquiries please email adam@the-pit.la