“We have everything and we have nothing” solo show by Martin Stone back

Martin Stone (b.1963) has concentrated on the still life for his solo exhibition in the Doorway Gallery. He has injected an energy and vitality into his subject matter, with his loose paint strokes and bold colour . Bringing to life to a simple collection of domestic objects. The everyday objects depicted are more than simply decorative in intent, they contain complex messages encapsulated in the type of object displayed, and how they are arranged, infusing the picture with symbolic significance, imparting political, moral and spiritual messages.

Martin’s influences are traditional. Still life in the past had often adorned ancient tombs. It was believed that the objects depicted would be there for the person in the afterlife. This fascinates him, as does the use of food and flowers that would often appear as symbols of the seasons, and of the five senses.   The tradition of the skull in paintings as a symbol of mortality. Martin expresses a great knowledge of colour in his collection of paintings.  Similar to Matisse's execution of still life, Martin’s objects are nearly lost amidst the colourful patterns. He reduces the objects to bold, flat outlines, filled with bright colours, and simplified perspective that introduces multi-colour backgrounds.

“ I believe art is a journey, and my work aims to demonstrate my personal progress in the path I have taken in colour, form, and line.”  Martin Stone

Stone’s work appears in many collections including: OPW, Office of public works Dublin; OPW, Office of public works Cork; University Of Limerick Art Collection; University of Limerick Medical Art Collection; National Museum Wales; The British Council; Dupont Inc. Toronto; Pfizer; wella trust and Liam O'Donovan & Co, Solicitors

 “How does he with brush strokes or palate knife, convey a mother's love of her child as they sit side by side in a chair? The detail on the mother's face is sketchy to say the least, but the expression is undeniable. There's the passion of the pianist, the concentration of the fiddle player and Stone conveys this emotion in the haunch of a shoulder, the frown on a forehead.”   Carol Gilbert, Journalist for the Southern Star/Writer