There is an epic quality to Weinstein’s view of things in this work; sky and sea emanate the rough energies of nature, while the buildings offer us the example of culture,..our appreciation is inevitably enhanced by his tacit praise of history and the immortality of beauty.
(Jonathan Goodman)
Although grounded in the Plein Air tradition, Weinstein’s painting style has a twist. Each artwork consists of three transparent panels, which have a partial image worked out by the artist. The panels in an individual work are painted at different times of day often different years and from varying viewpoints. The panels are then encased in a clear acrylic box, creating a painting that appears as a seamless, multi-dimensional yet ever-shifting image. The process results in a difference, though: the suggestion of depth in the paintings is not imaginary but actual, given that each work consists of the several acrylic planes placed one behind each other. The shifting planes manifest the layers that are often blended together and obscured by traditional painting, allowing the play of ambient light to interact with the acrylic dimensions. The power of the painting is allowed to shine through as each discrete layer is given its space. What emerges is a literal deconstruction of the painting process as each layer is permitted its own spatial plane where gestural brushwork and mutable light effects are actualized on specific shifting geometric planes. The net effect is the closest experience to the documentation and experience of memory that can be visually presented.
In his extensive career, Martin Weinstein has had over 75 solo and curated group exhibitions at galleries and museums both nationally and abroad. including the MacNider Art Museum, Hillstrom Museum of Art, Museum of the Southwest, Wichita Art Museum, Swarthmore College, and most recently at The Parthenon Museum, Nashville, TN. The artist lives and works in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. Martin Weinstein's next solo exhibition will be in February, 2025, at Lichtundfire Gallery, New York City, NY.