MAURO MARTINEZ

A transition from Martinez’s last solo exhibition, which contemplated virtual gaming, Practice Makes Purrfect looks to physical sport through the narrative of a tennis match. The shadow of a housecat takes the place of a tennis ball, a comedic reference to this darker side of competition. Enhanced by the lack of opponent and crowd, this body of work also highlights individual competition, alluding to our sometimes-fraught relationships with ourselves.

The exhibition includes 15 new works and is the first series for the artist, as Martinez explores the concept of iteration in his practice. Each painting mimics the style of photography typically used for tennis matches. Emphasising enhanced shadows, stark lighting and the use of a bird’s eye perspective, Martinez pictures each athlete frozen in the midst of a crucial moment. While he has historically looked to the internet and meme culture for inspiration, this is the first body of work which draws upon themes from the artist’s previous works, as the process of repetition becomes a way for Martinez to delve deeper into his craft.

Martinez is inspired by Hannah Wohl’s book, Bound By Creativity (The University of Chicago Press, June 2021), and the themes of this title also frame the exhibition. Bound By Creativity explores how artists develop conceptions of their distinctive creative visions through experimentation and social interactions. By exploring creativity through the lens of judgement, new light is shed on the creation of art and cultural works. Martinez’s new body of work becomes an experiment in discipline and iteration as he returns to the past to learn something new. In Practice Makes Purrfect, Martinez joins other contemporary artists who are taking fresh approaches to sports, including Monica Kim Garza, Alvin Armstrong, and Pelle Cass.