In this untitled drawing from his “Reticulations” series, Cameron Martin uses tight linear
patterns (sometimes twenty-five or so lines per inch for each layer of color) to create surfaces
that appear to vibrate and shift over time. When conflicting sets of patterns interface, seams
or scars form and rupture the stability of the surface. In all works from this series Martin uses
a single motif—the serial repetition of straight lines drawn either vertically or slightly
diagonally with a straight edge and a fine point marker. With a focus on perceptual
movement, Martin’s drawings force an inevitable comparison to Op Art, but their scale,
luminosity, and hyper-intense color reflect the contemporary world of portable screens,
tablets, and smart phones. At a distance, this drawing takes on a green tint as the pure
yellow and blue lines blend as the viewer experiences them, a phenomenon called “optical
mixture.”
–When We Were Young: Rethinking Abstraction From The University At Albany Art Collections (1967-Present)

Cameron Martin (b. 1970, American)
is best known for his large-scale,
photographically based landscape
paintings. In 2014, he began working
against this approach, returning to
elements that he felt brought back a
sense of play and freedom to his studio
practice. This work is part of his recent
non-objective output that addresses
generative roles for abstraction. The
small-scale painting maintains a
distinct optical and conceptual
framework comprised of both
interconnected and disrupted forms.
Speaking about his work, he says,
“I often think of the paintings as operating
the way a community ideally could, with
strong individuals working in tandem,
finding affinities but also antagonizing
each other in order to produce
something larger.”

–Affinities and Outliers: Highlights from the University at Albany Fine Art Collections