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Inside Out, Outside In
Shantell Martin: Project
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Illustrator, live performer and VJ Shantell Martin creates art without boundaries at her new installment entitled Project InsideOut OutsideIn at the Collette Blanchard Gallery this month. Her exhibit creates a halcyon atmosphere that is brought about by a fusion of music paired with her playful illustrations and colorful projections of streaming color, shapes and cartoonish creatures. Never bound by parameters, Martin spontaneously creates her art in a freestyle form that carries you into her whimsical world. On display are her inked illustrations on parchment, walls and objects that all serve as the backdrop to her live performance.
Upon first entering Martin’s exhibit one would think of it as lighthearted and almost childlike. The white walls of the gallery are covered in a connecting flow of markered illustrations. A clothing line runs across a wall, a child’s bicycle sits unattended and a baby pool is positioned all atop the lush green Astroturf which occupies the entire floor of the gallery; literally bring the outside world in. A small euro car is parked at the exhibit’s entrance and serves as the booth where Martin creates her stream-of-conscious world for the New York City debut of her interactive performance called the Hidden Ora Lounge. This performance incorporates multimedia with the soulful baritone of a cello lulling the audience into an easy trance while Martin’s improvisations are projected onto willing participants painting them in colored lights to reveal their aura. Jazzy smooth Ella Fitzgerald-y vocals fill the packed space as New Yorkers sit contently on faux grass, as though transported to a picnic in rural backyard, while they watch the light show and groove to Martin’s transient depictions of energy and sound turned into a visual display. Martin’s approachable style gives way to an astonishingly intricate art form. What seems obvious, upon further scrutiny, gives way to the complex free associative journey of Martin’s mind -the mind of unique artist.
Shantell Martin’s performance credits are international. Her work has been shown in NYC at MoMA and she has previously had her work displayed in London and Japan. Her current exhibit finishes up Saturday, May 22nd with the closing reception at 6pm at the Collette Blanchard Gallery. For information visit www.colletteblanchard.com