For the week of December 17 - 23, 2003

Whimsical art captures earthly delights

---

By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer

A cauliflower couch? A pear tree piano? Though these sound like things perhaps found in "Alice in Wonderland," they are in fact the names of two of New York-based artist Timothy Martin’s oil paintings.

Martin, who has a show, "Flora, Fauna and Furniture" at Sagebrush Interiors and Gallery in Ketchum for the month of December, is nothing if not original.

"I love that it’s furniture on the walls," director of Sagebrush’s gallery Terry Tischer said.

"My signature ‘style’ began as a pun," Martin related in his mission statement. "I was mounting a show of paintings and sculpture in New Hope, Pa., and I hung a painting called the ‘Wing Chair.’ The chairs’ wings were a birds’ wings and in the seat of the chair was—what else?—an egg. I was pleased with that piece, and I did several others, including one of an overstuffed Victorian chair, which was an abundantly flowered Victorian garden. The reaction was positive."

So positive, in fact, that Martin has built a career based on the combination of art, nature and furniture.

Martin first gained widespread recognition in 1993 when he was selected by Tiffany & Company to display artwork in their Manhattan flagship store on Fifth Avenue at 57th Street. He was invited to display there three more times. His work was featured in a story titled "Bloomin' Comfy," in "The World of Interiors," a glossy British magazine. The publication of the article coincided with Martin's first international exhibition in London.

In 1994, Martin received a fellowship grant from the New Jersey State Council of the Arts. Four years later he was published by the Winn Devon Art Group, one of the nation's premier art publishing firms. Currently publications of Martin's work include posters and limited edition giclée fine art reproductions.

Charming, colorful and enchanting. So, shall we kick back in a Daffodil settee?

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.