The debut of British artist Will Martyr's brand-new works - a buzzing, vibrant event that marked a perfect end to the summer.
Fathoms showcased the new works of London-based painter Will Martyr, all executed on large-scale round tondo canvases in his signature immaculate style. Martyr is known for his vibrant, hyperreal paintings representing dreamlike locations of pleasure and recreation. The title of the show represents a unit of water or a hunger to gain a new sense of understanding; the viewer is invited to delve deep into these compositions and assimilate. This series of tondos were accompanied by Martyr’s first ever Neon sculpture. This complex four-phase Neon was constructed around the shape of a beach parasol gently blowing in the wind.
Guests admiring Will Martyr’s Suddenly I Understand, 2018.
Inspired by the circular format of early Renaissance paintings, as well as the period’s pioneering of perspectival illusion such as by Paolo Uccello and Piero della Francesca, the works in Fathoms seek to evoke a sense of nostalgia, of child-like wonder, and the relaxation and leisure of vacation. By presenting idyllic settings void of human presence, the paintings invite the viewer to project onto them their own happy memories, creating spaces for introspection and contemplation.
Crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of Martyr’s paintings.
Martyr’s complex paintings are built from meticulous hand-drawn compositions, masked off and cut to shape using surgical blades before being hand-painted in block colour. At first glance, the paintings are characterised by flat areas of graphic colour, but on closer inspection the layers of paint and raised impasto elements become apparent, signifying Martyr’s scrupulous attention to detail.
Artist Will Martyr chatting to excited guests.
The private view, which took place on Tuesday 4 September, was an energetic and celebratory occasion, perfectly complementing the joyous atmosphere created in Martyr’s tondos. The event was attended by over 700 guests, who filled the gallery space with stimulating conversation while admiring Martyr’s latest works and enjoying delicious elit Vodka cocktails.
Fathoms at Unit London Mayfair ran from 31 August to 29 September 2018 at Unit London, 3 Hanover Square London W1S 1HD.
Event photography by Enrico Policardo (@cardopoli).
An evening with elit Vodka
elit Vodka goes through a painstaking process that begins in Russia’s breadbasket, the great arable lands of Tambov, 400miles south of Moscow. Famous for its fertile black soil, it is here where the finest quality winter wheat is grown on Stoli’s Group’s estate of 620 hectares in an environmentally protected zone, surrounded by a lake and three forests. elit is then distilled at the Talvis Distillery next to the estate before travelling to Latvijas Balzams distillery in Riga, where it is blended with pure spring water before being filtered through quartz sand twice, Russian Birchwood charcoal, ultra fine cloth and an ultra cold “Zeta Plus” filter.
The ELIT PROUN BAR debuted at the private view of Will Martyr: Fathoms. Inspired by seminal artist El Lissitzky, the bar reimagines the Russian avant-garde of the early 20th century. A key member of the Suprematist movement, El Lissitzky’s series of drawings, printsand installations known as Proun, an acronym for “Project for the Affirmation of the New” form the inspiration behind the structure. The bar has been brought to life by cutting-edge architects, Carmody & Groarke, who have embraced the spirit of El Lissitzky and his obsession with space and experimentation. Residing for the month of September at Unit London in the heart of Mayfair, elit Vodka have crafted a unique dialogue between architecture, art and science, breaking design boundaries and inspiring conversation within the artistic community.
Will Martyr
It’s All Going To Be Magnificent
2018
Will Martyr
I Am So Glad You Came
2018
Will Martyr
Treat Me Like It’s My Birthday
2018