
Useful Information
2016
Rendered on hand-painted paper and brought to life through screen printing, "Useful Information" (2016) exemplifies Patrick Martinez's fluency in layering commercial visual language with pointed social commentary. The vertical format, measuring 111.8 × 40.6 cm, channels the proportions of signage and storefronts that populate the Los Angeles streetscape Martinez has long documented, translating the vernacular of the everyday into a considered artistic gesture. The interplay between the hand-painted ground and the printed surface introduces a tactile tension, reminding the viewer that what appears mass-produced is, in fact, intimately made. Martinez, born in Pasadena in 1980 and trained at Art Center College of Design, has built a practice rooted in the cultural geography of Southern California, drawing from immigrant community aesthetics, neighborhood iconography, and the quiet urgency of spaces that mainstream institutions often overlook. By 2016, the year this work was created, his output had earned significant institutional attention, with presentations at the Vincent Price Art Museum and the Cornell Fine Arts Museum among others, alongside critical coverage in outlets including ArtNews and the Los Angeles Times. That same year he curated the ambitious group exhibition "Southland" at Charlie James Gallery, signaling his role not only as a maker but as a shaping voice within the Los Angeles contemporary scene. Designated AP 1/1, this work carries the distinction of being a unique artist's proof, offering collectors a singular object rather than a standard edition. Its combination of conceptual rigor, material warmth, and cultural specificity positions it as a compelling entry point into Martinez's practice, which has continued to grow in institutional prominence and critical stature since this piece was realized.
- Medium
- Screen print on hand-painted paper
- Sheet
- Signed
- Yes
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