Church Street Gallery in West Chester is now home to a brand-new exhibit of oil paintings from Downingtown-based artist Adrian Martinez, writes Bill Rettew for The Daily Local News.
Martinez’s inspiration comes from a life well lived; he paints his emotions about the world around him. Oftentimes, you’ll find his painting grouped in threes.
His particularly striking cat paintings nod to T.S. Eliot’s children’s book called “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.” The majority of his work is said to have two meanings, one funny, one serious.
A child of the 1960s, Martinez cites three major sources of musical influence: heavy metal band Jinjer, rapper Kendrick Lamar, and the classical sounds of Beethoven.
“Art is never ending. You have to listen to Beethoven’s 5th more than once to enjoy it. The more you look or listen to art the more you want to see and enjoy.” Martinez said. “Art is a good investment. You can eat too much food or spend a lot of money on a car, and it’s worth nothing in 10 years, but music and visual art is eternally the best investment you can make.”
While he doesn’t often hold gallery showings in the surrounding area, Martinez noted that Church Street Gallery is one of the most important art galleries in all of Chester County.
Read more about the Adrian Martinez exhibit and how to visit the Church Street Gallery at The Daily Local News.
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