Artist to Know: Paula Martiesian -- Inside Art with Michael Rose

Artist to Know: Paula Martiesian -- Inside Art with Michael Rose

The Rhode Island art community is made up of many individuals who labor quietly to make art, mount exhibitions, and bring artworks to audiences. One person whose art practice bridges all of these areas is artist and arts advocate Paula Martiesian. A RISD alumna, Martiesian co-founded Gallery Night Providence, curates art exhibitions, and has been a positive force on the state’s art scene for decades. The foundation of all of her creative work, though, is her own practice as a painter of fantastically colorful images inspired by nature.

Born in Providence and raised in Pawtucket, Martiesian credits a supportive community for enabling her to begin her life as an artist in the state, saying, “I liked Rhode Island, liked the fact the RISD was planted in the center of our capital city and that many of the people I knew worked in the design arts industry that surrounded us. Jewelry and Textiles were big and employed a huge swath of people. The people who worked in these industries did not think being an artist was odd, they understood the calling and recognized it in me, even as a young girl. That meant a great deal to me growing up and still does.”

Martiesian and her husband, the musician and composer Ken Carpenter, met at RISD and opted to remain in Rhode Island after school. Martiesian was a foundational force behind Gallery Night Providence, one of the organizations which rebranded the city as an arts-focused capital in the ’90s. She remains active with Gallery Night and also curates one of the organization’s member galleries, located in the BankRI branch at One Turks Head Place. She also plans monthly shows at two other BankRI locations and has often used these exhibitions to promote the work of young and emerging artists.

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In the studio, Martiesian relishes in a rich collection of pigments. Her paintings, which often focus on the landscape of her own urban garden on the East Side, are also meditations on color. Speaking of the connection between her garden and her art, Martiesian says, “A garden reminds us we are not the only ones on this earth, but only a small piece of a much larger whole. A garden provides perspective, a return to the spirit and away from plastic gadgets. Painting is a different story. Here I am more than a bit player, more like a director or a conductor, mixing my impressions of the external world with my inward emotional response to life, a balancing act between the outward and inward worlds, translated somehow on a piece of 36x50 inch piece of linen.”

To say that Martiesian’s paintings are lyrical would be true. Unfortunately, that word undersells the effect of this artist’s remarkable hand. Martiesian transforms her inspirations into imagery that is often abstract and recognizable at the same time. In her art, one can spot slender branches that bend and sway or roots that hold firm in a sort of muscular sculptural reserve. Often the most stunning effects of her paintings are her focus on the shadows cast by foliage upon the floor of an outdoor space. Her treatment of these sun-dappled realms is beguiling and magical.

Martiesian has exhibited her work widely including at the Newport Art Museum and the RISD Museum. Now and through August 31, a collection of her paintings is on view in nearby Fall River, Massachusetts at the Narrows Center for The Arts. The exhibition, titled Wild Solace, includes paintings by Martiesian alongside haiku by Steve Pasto. It is accompanied by a handsome catalogue with an eloquent foreword by Dr. Deborah Johnson, Professor Emerita of Art History at Providence College. This is a fitting tribute to an artist whose career has spanned more than four decades.

Alongside the exhibition, Martiesian also released an engaging video highlighting her passion for gardening and her reflections on art-making. The video and the accompanying musical soundtrack were produced by her husband Ken, an indication of the wonderfully productive creative partnership which the couple enjoy.

 

 

As to what’s next after her exhibition in Fall River, Martiesian says, “It will be hard to top this one, but I hope I can in a year or two from now. I am approaching other galleries and a museum or two with the hope I can exhibit in the near future, but you never quite know what's around the corner.”

At the end of Martiesian’s catalogue for her show at the Narrows, she thanks a dozen-plus individuals who helped the exhibition come together. Perhaps this gesture, more than anything, is a testament to Martiesian’s own status as a multi-talented cultural fixture who is deeply aware of what it takes to make art and exhibitions a reality.

Learn more about Paula Martiesian at her website www.paulamartiesian.com.