Eddie Martinez Whistles While He Works | "New York Close Up" | Art21

How does it feel to start a new painting? Filmed in his Greenpoint, Brooklyn studio, artist Eddie Martinez starts a large new painting while taking a break to walk his French bulldog Franny in his graffiti-clad neighborhood. Surrounded by an abundance of recently completed paintings, Martinez refers to these compositions while working on a new seven-by-ten foot canvas. Martinez uses black spray paint to make a quick sketch before introducing larger fields of saturated color and developing a densely textured surface. Constantly moving and filling the studio's silence with his own whistling, he impatiently makes marks and scrapes off paint before it's had a chance to dry. Equating his very physical practice to that of a boxing ring, Martinez approaches his canvas like a fighter, rhythmically coming into contact and then stepping back from his opponent. Under his pet Franny's affectionate gaze, Martinez is satisfied by the painting's rapid progress at the end of the day, a testament to his ability to productively harness his anxiety and aggression in the studio.

Eddie Martinez (b. 1977, Groton, Connecticut) lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

CREDITS | "New York Close Up" Created & Produced by: Wesley Miller & Nick Ravich. Editor: Brad Kimbrough. Cinematography: John Marton & Rafael Moreno Salazar. Sound: Nick Ravich. Associate Producer: Ian Forster. Production Assistant: Amanda Long. Design & Graphics: Crux Studio & Open. Artwork: Eddie Martinez. Thanks: Sam Moyer & Franny. An Art21 Workshop Production. © Art21, Inc. 2012. All rights reserved.

"New York Close Up" is supported, in part, by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; Toby Devan Lewis; the Dedalus Foundation, Inc.; and the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Inc. Additional support provided by The 1896 Studios & Stages, and by individual contributors.