Connecting was Shantell Martin's's first Solo Exhibition in Boston, an installation of 9 original works on canvas. The original works were performed with and installed along side the new drawing implements that Martin developed and open sourced leading up to the exhibition.

Exhibition photography

Untitled1, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 36 in x 48 in Untitled2, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 36 in x 48 in Untitled3, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 36 in x 48 in Untitled4, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 30 in x 40 in Untitled5, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 30 in x 40 in Untitled6, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 60 in x 48 in Untitled7, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 60 in x 48 in Untitled8, 2016 30 in x 40 in
Installation documentaion Installation documentaion Installation documentaion Installation documentaion Installation documentaion Installation documentaion, 2016 Detail of open source implement kit Installation documentaion, 2016 Detail of printed open source plastic drawing implements with acrylic paint marker Installation documentaion, 2016 Detail of printed open source plastic drawing implements with acrylic paint marker Installation documentaion, 2016 Detail of open source implement kit Installation documentaion, 2016 Detail of printed open source plastic drawing implements with acrylic paint marker

Statement from the Artist

When drawing, I feel like a dancer connecting with the people and the space around me through the movements and marks that I create.

Connecting is an exhibition of works performed with new open source tools created in the spring of 2016 in residence at Autodesk’s Pier 9 Workshop. When drawing with these tools the double lines and multiple lines drive the artist to find a new path with them.

By multiplying the vocabulary of a single line, the tools become a third connection and inform the works along with the people and space of the performance. The drawing tools are a new and liberating dimension of context, that you can download, print out and explore in your space.

Press Statement

Open Gallery is pleased to present Connecting by Shantell Martin, the artist’s first solo exhibition in Boston. Known for her long-form line drawings, Martin’s gestural illustrations reduce formal features to their most basic lines. Each figure is unique, yet clearly part of a cohesive visual language that reverberates throughout her extensive body of work. Her illustrative vocabulary echoes across media, from her motto, “You Are You,” to her clothing covered in line drawings, to her coloring book WAVE, and newer, more unprecedented forms.

Connecting represents Martin’s most recent foray into creativity and open source art, as she invites visitors to copy, remix, and even 3D print her drawings created with new open source drawing tools. As part of her residency at Autodesk’s Pier 9 Workshop in San Francisco, Martin began using design and fabrication resources to prototype new drawing implements. As an artist new to computer aided design (CAD) software and 3D printers, Martin’s research process was driven by a desire to design an extremely simple object that could profoundly impact her drawing output. Connecting features the outcome of this iterative process, including 15 of Martin’s new works on canvas, and 7 new open source works of 3D printed resin plastic.

Prior to the opening reception, Martin will present a lecture at Bocoup, located behind Open Gallery, and will perform a demonstration with the new drawing implements she has developed.

Open to the public. RSVP to the gallery at ti.to/open/connecting, as space is limited.

Shantell Martin (b. 1980) holds a B.F. A. from Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in London, and has worked at an artist in residence at the MIT Media Lab, NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and most recently, at the Autodesk Pier 9 Workshop in San Francisco. Martin's work has earned international recognition from arts institutions including the Brooklyn Museum, Museum of the Contemporary African Diaspora, Bata Show Museum and a number of private galleries. Martin’s work has been featured by the New York Times, Vogue, Fortune, and a range of other international media outlets. Some of her commercial clients include Vitra, Flos, Martone Cycling, Kelly Wearstler, Vespa, Slow factory, among others.