turntable gallery launches into the new year with an exhibition of brand-new inkjet prints and paintings by Hackney based artist; Martin Church. The images are made by sketching, whist commuting on the Metropolitan Line tube in West London. Beginning back in 2015, the process has evolved from using smart phones and drawing apps, to sketches made on blank postcards with a broad swathe of mediums.
During lockdown, when the trains were less crowded, full-size Evening Standard and the daily Metro newspapers became the canvas of choice. As such, both landscape and social conditions, play a part in Martins work.
The materials employed tend to be ephemeral, and so choicer images are scanned and printed to record the efforts. Diverging once more, collage has begun to be used in an attempt to simplify the sketching process. As such they might be transcribed into paintings more easily.
The show presents a linear journey through a practice, linking drawing, technical processes and framed final pieces.
Martin Church (b.1955, Grimsby, Lincolnshire) studied at the Grimsby College of Technology, School of Art from 1971-1974, then at Royal Academy Schools, London, 1974-1977.
Website: www.martinrchurch.com
This video explains the making of 'Sea', a dot matrix composite grid picture shown at Islington Arts Factory in 2019 and features Ms Eleanor Pearce. The composite grid was modified for the 'SKETCHING ON THE TUBE' exhibition at turntable gallery, Grimsby, 2023.
