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Patrick Martinez — SCV Buff 2
Patrick Martinez

SCV Buff 2

2017

Patrick Martinez's "SCV Buff 2" (2017) presents a fragment of street typography captured in three dimensions, translating the visual language of Los Angeles graffiti culture into glazed ceramic tile and mixed media on panel. The letters, partially obscured as if interrupted mid-gesture or painted over by a property owner's buff coat, preserve a moment of tension between public expression and erasure. Martinez works here with the same attentiveness to surface and material that defines his broader practice, layering tactile depth into an image that reads simultaneously as document, sculpture, and elegy for the overlooked vernacular of Southern California's streets. The choice of ceramic tile is far from incidental. The material carries strong associations with the domestic interiors, bodegas, and neighborhood architecture of Latino Los Angeles, grounding the work in a specific cultural geography while elevating its subject matter into a register associated with craft and permanence. At 61 by 61 centimeters, the work holds an intimate scale that rewards close looking, the dimensional relief of the tile surface creating subtle shifts in shadow and texture across its face. Martinez has earned sustained critical recognition for his ability to find formal rigor and emotional resonance in the textures of everyday urban life, and "SCV Buff 2" is a confident example of that sensibility. Originally donated in connection with Charlie James Gallery, the work is currently offered through the Palm Springs Art Museum Benefit Auction, presenting a meaningful opportunity to acquire a tightly realized piece from a significant body of work.

Medium
Ceramic, mixed media, and ceramic tile on panel
Overall
Signed
Yes

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About this work

Patrick Martinez, SCV Buff 2, 2017

Patrick Martinez's "SCV Buff 2" (2017) presents a fragment of street typography captured in three dimensions, translating the visual language of Los Angeles graffiti culture into glazed ceramic tile and mixed media on panel. The letters, partially obscured as if interrupted mid-gesture or painted over by a property owner's buff coat, preserve a moment of tension between public expression and erasure. Martinez works here with the same attentiveness to surface and material that defines his broader practice, layering tactile depth into an image that reads simultaneously as document, sculpture, and elegy for the overlooked vernacular of Southern California's streets. The choice of ceramic tile is far from incidental. The material carries strong associations with the domestic interiors, bodegas, and neighborhood architecture of Latino Los Angeles, grounding the work in a specific cultural geography while elevating its subject matter into a register associated with craft and permanence. At 61 by 61 centimeters, the work holds an intimate scale that rewards close looking, the dimensional relief of the tile surface creating subtle shifts in shadow and texture across its face. Martinez has earned sustained critical recognition for his ability to find formal rigor and emotional resonance in the textures of everyday urban life, and "SCV Buff 2" is a confident example of that sensibility. Originally donated in connection with Charlie James Gallery, the work is currently offered through the Palm Springs Art Museum Benefit Auction, presenting a meaningful opportunity to acquire a tightly realized piece from a significant body of work.

Medium
Ceramic, mixed media, and ceramic tile on panel
Dimensions
overall: 61 x 61 x 11.4 cm
Year
2017
Signed
Hand-signed by the artist
Seen at
Palm Springs Art Museum Benefit Auction

Related themes

Mohn Art Collective

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