Kenneth Martin
1905-1984
Whilst working as a designer, Martin studied part-time at the Sheffield School of Art and in 1929 went to the Royal College of Art. He painted direct from nature until 1948 and was associated with the Euston Road group including artists such as Victor Pasmore and Claude Rogers. His early paintings were characterised by close tonal control and sensitive colouring. Like Pasmore, he moved towards abstraction during the late 1940s. Writing about this development he revealed: 'The moment I became a purely abstract artist I began to realise what I had been missing... That I'd really missed the whole of the modern movement.' His sculptural constructions, dating from 1951, include a number of mobiles based on clear spatial concepts. Martin's approach was essentially Constructivist, being based on clear statement and logical elaboration of simple principles, often borrowing rhythmic ideas from mathematics and from music. His mobiles are less fanciful than those of Calder, by whom he was influenced. Martin exhibited widely both in one-man shows and in group shows of Constructivist and Kinetic Art. The Tate Gallery staged a retrospective exhibition of his work in 1975. His work is represented in public collections worldwide.
Works Available
Still Life with Roses