Art Martinez: Al Borde’s Día de los Muertos Altar Competition Winner

By Hilda GabrielaNovember 12, 2009Edúcate

Art @ workMeet Art Martinez. He’s a Long Beach resident, an artist, promoter, musician, and most recently the winner of Al Borde’s Día de los Muertos Altar Competition. I can still hear La Santa Cecilia’s “Klezmer” in my head from the day of. Anyhow, if you missed the show you definitely missed out. But the music isn’t the only thing you’ll have to hear of from word of mouth. The event also had some pretty sick art displays from local artists. Art and his Red Hands Media team pulled off an insane altar paying homage to the late Michael Jackson. I touched base with this fueled-by-art artist and he was ever so kind as to give us a brief rundown on his inspiration for his MJ altar, talked to us about Red Hands Media and about his preferred weapons of mass destruction.

Michael Jackson AltarThe MJ Altar
I grew up with “Off the Wall” and “Thriller” so Michael Jackson was a huge influence in my life. I was depressed for some time after I found out he died. I don’t even remember how I first heard of it but all I remember was that everyone was talking about it.   He is one of the most unique people to have ever existed and I’m glad his life fell in line with mine so I could experience him.
I really wanted to show what an impact Michael Jackson had on my life by constructing the most over-the-top altar I could think to create.  I spent a week designing the stage and body and my partner Yadira Gonzalez and I spent a week on just the decorating aspect of it. I used everything I could find to create the Michael Jackson altar.

Red Hands Media
Art is my blood and creation is my single most important motivator.  Since I was a kid I was very artistic. My mom still has a great picture I drew of Bert and Ernie when I was three.  She wanted me to be a writer; I wanted to showcase my various talents under one umbrella so in 2007 I founded Red Hands Media. Red Hands Media has since grown to incorporate the skills and talents of over ten artist members who each play an important and individual role in putting together shows and creating artwork.

Red Hands MediaWeapons of mass destruction
I’ve studied the techniques of old masters such as Leonardo and Vermeer and I think that by their refined technique and the ultimate clarity of presentation in their compositions there is enormous amounts of room for playing with subject matter-, which is where I like to spend my time.  I prefer to work from life although I find that I might have to work from photographs every now and then.  The next showing I’m having with Al Borde will all be paintings based off of drawings that came purely from my head with no reference.  Sometimes I like to see what’s going on up there!

I also love oil paint.  I love the smell of it and I like the way it feels under the bristles, the way it layers and the fact that it’s so organic. My art represents my feelings and are open to any bit of interpretation.  But at best, I like my work to be sold!


Wanna see some of Art’s work for yourself? Stop by the next Al Borde Acoustic session- the last acoustic session for the year- where Art will be taking part of the “Creationes Virtuosas” Art showcase.

See you at the show!

Are you diggin’ Art and Al Borde’s Day of the Dead festivities?!

Digg ’em some more !