Karel Martens: Artist in Residence at Monash
Kare Martens print
Innovative Dutch graphic designer, artist and educator, Karel Martens, will visit Australia for the first time as the guest of the Monash University Faculty of Art and Design where he will be Artist in Residence for a two week exhibition at the Faculty Gallery in early April.
The two rooms of the gallery space will reflect the Martens's practice – half dedicated to a retrospective exhibition of his printed and published work and half converted into a studio/workshop where he will host sessions for Monash students and create work in situ.
Curator Warren Taylor, of the Department of Design, said that the exhibition will feature all 56 issues of the architecture, urban design and landscape design journal OASE, designed by Mr Martens since 1990, together with other works to place the covers in context.
The open workshop will evolve over the course of Mr Martens's residency, featuring work by the artist himself together with pieces produced by students under his guidance.
“It is a wonderful opportunity for the students and staff of the Faculty of Art & Design, not to mention the extended design community in Melbourne, to have such a pivotal figure of graphic design as resident artist," said Mr Taylor.
"It is difficult to distinguish between Martens's output for his clients and his personal work. Herein lies the genius. His extensive portfolio is a myriad of geometric discipline and experimental artistry”.
An influential figure in the graphic design world, Mr Martens graduated from the Arnhem School of Art in 1961 and worked as a freelance designer, specialising in typography. He has designed several books, stamps, signs and typographic facades for buildings.
Mr Martens has taught at a number of influential institutions including the Arnhem School of Art and the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht. He is a critic in the graphic design department at Yale University and in 1998 co-founded the experimental typography school, the Werkplaats Typografie.
Karel Martens OASE/ runs from 6 April to 21 April, 2011.
Exhibition Opening: Wednesday 6 April, 5pm to 7pm
Artist Talk: Tuesday 12 April, 6:30 pm.
Further information.