An interview with Will Martyr

Will Martyr is a London-based artist whose unique style uses clean lines, bold colours and innovative compositions to dramatic effect. His work has been exhibited in galleries around the world, and features in many high profile private and corporate collections. He was trained at the Slade School of Fine Art, and the Royal College of Art.

Martyr’s latest collection, Fathoms, is being exhibited from 31 August to 29 September at the Unit London galley at 3 Hanover Square, London W1 – including 8 huge paintings, a neon sculpture and a limited edition print. Shortly after the exhibition’s launch event, Chase Noble took the opportunity to speak with Martyr about his latest work, and a wide range of topics arising.

LS: Why have you chosen ‘Fathoms’ as the theme for this exhibition?

Martyr:

It struck me that ‘Fathoms’ has a dual meaning. It can be a unit of depth of water and almost all the paintings in the collection place water in a central role. Water is shown as being cool, calm and inviting, whilst also having a restorative and psychologically rejuvenating power, as is often seen in culture and religion. 

Fathoms also refers to the quest to understand and assimilate. Initially, the compositions are about the seduction of place, but they also have subtle fine art representations within them which bring in symbolism and narrative which can be explored. That’s why there are lots of compositions nods toward Renaissance painters such as Piero della Francesca, for example emphasising the depth and perspective of water, and through compositional construction around floating umbrellas. 

LS: Have you found your buyers are displaying them in nautical settings, such as cruiseships or in hotels overlooking the water, or on islands close to bays?

Martyr:

I’ve found it’s been a mixture. The size of the paintings means it’s unrealistic for most people to be able to display them. So most of them are going into private collections, whether in LA or New York or the Middle East.

There aren’t many houses that have been built of Victorian or Georgian stock that can accommodate the size of painting.

LS: How has your work been evolving over the past few years?

Martyr:

You’d probably agree it’s a lot more playful than it was. The poolside compositions aim to be familiar and safe, a reminder to the viewer of places where they’ve loved and laughed in the past, with an inclusion of playful motifs. For example, the pool chairs in one of the paintings, everyone has sat in one of those chairs - whether they’re a prince or pauper. I wouldn’t say it’s a democratisation of the work but certainly is making it more accessible. For example, you’ve got inflatable flamingos and macaroons, which compositionally invite you to come in and be entertained, and perhaps cavort around. Architectur and colour still play a huge role, but there’s a softness and inclusivity which has increased their seduction somewhat. They’re much more fun than a year ago.

LS: You went through a phase where you put silhouettes of people within the picture, but seem to have moved on from that.

Martyr:

I was toying with it. I should note the people were always superimposed on the surface of the work, they were never included within the main picture frame. With this collection, I felt that, if people were included in the composition, it risked closing down the narrative. Because of the hybrid nature of the work, I wanted you as a viewer to be able to put your own experiences and holidays and feelings and relationships within those picture frames - Uninterrupted by somebody standing or lying there as well. This adds, I felt, huge narrative potential.  In a certain way, I’ve sought to use motifs as allegories for humans; the ice creams and flamingos and umbrellas and chairs are, in a sense, communicating with each other. In the absence of a conventional human presence, they act as the humans.

LS: Is the British creative industry in good health at the moment?

Martyr:

Absolutely. London really does punch about its weight, whether in art of film or fashion. I think there’s a real hunger and camaraderie within art schools; even when London is one of the most unaffordable cities in the world, young artists can seek out themes and movements and put on shows. In many other countries, there isn’t the movement to do that. One thing that’s sad, if you look at artists you and I know from the Slade or Royal Colleges, would today be looking down the barrel of fifty to sixty thousand for a full-time MA. I fear you might lose a lot of artists that could have been leading lights; but I hope there’s still opportunity for people who don’t have the funds to break through, even if they haven’t been to major art schools.

LS: What advice would you give to a young person interested in a career as an artist?

Martyr:

You’ve got to keep working and absorb and see as much art as you possibly can, visiting as many galleries as you can, and gaining influence from all types of art, whether it be music or film or fashion.  It’s no secret there are a number of occasions where things get very hard, for many artists (myself included), and you feel you want to give up. It can be brutal, particularly in someone like London. There’s no getting around it; it’s a non-vocational degree, and it’s a tough environment to navigate. The key is to have faith in what you’re doing and draw on the energy and commitment of people around you. Keep plugging away.

LS: What do you remember about ‘Travelling Light’ (editor's note: in 2006, whilst Will was at the Royal College of Art, I commissioned a major piece from him to celebrate the launch of the Equity Insurance brand; one hundred copies were printed, signed, and delivered to Equity’s business partners around the country)

Martyr:

Well, in the short-term, corporate commissions - such as the Travelling Light – funded my education.  But there was a deeper significance. That one commission enabled me to work with Coriander, arguably the best fine art printer in London, if not the country, if not the world. It really helped me develop my style and understand the print medium. And hopefully the firms that commissioned my work felt it had a longevity and impact which other types of corporate communication struggle to achieve. 

LS: Fascinating observations; thank you. Best wishes for the rest of the exhibition!