Agnes Martin

1912–2004

Throughout the more than five decades of her career, Agnes Martin made works using a spare, formal vocabulary and a delicate, subtly variegated palette. Martin was among a vibrant group of artists—including Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Indiana, and James Rosenquist—who settled in the Coenties Slip neighborhood of Manhattan in the late 1950s. Martin established her reputation as one of the foremost abstract artists of the postwar era with six-foot-square canvases delineated with overall grid patterns; in 1967, however, she moved to Taos, New Mexico, and ceased painting until 1974. When she began working again she shifted to compositions of horizontal bands of color defined by graphite lines, a body of work exemplified by The Islands.

From a distance or in photographs, the twelve pale, identically sized paintings of The Islands appear indistinguishable. As with most of Martin’s works, they are almost impossible to capture accurately in reproduction; the experience of viewing them in person is essential to appreciating and understanding her art. Only then can the variances in the faint graphite markings and the ethereal, horizontal washes of color that differentiate the twelve canvases be noted. Among her most ambitious and monumental works, The Islands envelops viewers in a contemplative environment in which they can become attuned to the sublime qualities of light and atmosphere as well as to their own reactions to the work. While Martin’s commitment to nonobjective painting and her disavowal of ego in art have sometimes led to her association with Minimalism, her work is hardly devoid of expression and emotion. “Everything,” she said, “is about feeling.”

Wikipedia entry

Introduction

Agnes Bernice Martin (March 22, 1912 – December 16, 2004) was an American abstract painter known for her minimalist style and abstract expressionism. Born in Canada, she moved to the United States in 1931, where she pursued higher education and became a U.S. citizen in 1950. Martin's artistic journey began in New York City, where she immersed herself in modern art and developed a deep interest in abstraction. Despite often being labeled a minimalist, she identified more with abstract expressionism. Her work has been defined as an "essay in discretion, inwardness and silence."

Growing up in rural Canada and influenced by the New Mexico desert, where she lived for the last several decades of her life, Martin's art was characterized by serene compositions featuring grids and lines. Her works were predominantly monochromatic, employing colors like black, white, and brown with great subtlety. Martin's minimalist approach conveyed tranquility and spirituality, and her paintings often carried positive names reflective of her philosophy.

Her career included numerous exhibitions, totaling over 85 solo shows, and participation in major events such as the Venice Biennale and Documenta. Martin's work earned recognition for its unique contribution to contemporary art, and she received awards like the National Medal of Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1998. She was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2004.

Despite personal struggles with schizophrenia, Martin's dedication to her art persisted, and her legacy continues to inspire contemporary artists. Documentaries and films have explored her life and work, shedding light on her artistic process and impact. Beyond the art world, her influence extends to popular culture, as seen in a Google doodle and a song dedicated to her. Martin's artistic vision, blending minimalism and spirituality, remains an enduring and influential force in the realm of abstract art.

Wikidata identifier

Q275610

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Information from Wikipedia, made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License . Accessed May 11, 2025.

Getty record

Introduction

Originally starting out as a painter concentrating on narrative themes, Martin eventually developed her signature influential style of hand-painted grids on canvas, with muted backgrounds. She is known to have produced two films, one lost.

Country of birth

Canada

Roles

Artist, painter

ULAN identifier

500024489

Names

Agnes Martin, Agnes Bernice Martin

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Information from the Getty Research Institute's Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License. Accessed May 11, 2025.

Not on view

First acquired
1964

Date of birth
March 22, 1912

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artists/842