Laura Rathe Fine Art announces a solo exhibition with renowned artist, Christopher Martin. LRFA will be hosting the opening reception on Saturday, November 7th from 6-9pm at their 1700 Post Oak Boulevard gallery.

The exploration of nature through art takes endless forms, opening our eyes to the intricacies and abstractions inherent to the natural world. This solo exhibition showcases Christopher Martin’s breathtaking attempt at finding balance between organi formations and painterly construct, giving the viewer a glimpse into what he describes as “the calm excitement of natural beauty.”

In his unique body of work, Martin reinvents the time-old practice of verre églomisé, allowing him to achieve a depth and luminosity unattainable with traditional canvas. His process is purposeful, with every layer having high influence on the next. Through this painstaking construct, forms of circular harmony entrance the eye in a vision of serene kinesis.

This solo exhibition will be on display through Date, 2019.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Though his technique traces back to the 14th century, Christopher Martin’s approach to "Verre Églomisé" is entirely modern. He captures abstractions inspired by wood grain, the cosmos, sun, sea, or even ski tracks—magnificently—all while painting “in reverse" on acrylic panels. Christopher coaxes layer upon layer of sheer pigment and water to achieve his vision ~ harnessing brushes, wind, heat, and gravity. As Simone Bretz, a former curator of the Munich Metropolitan Museum and noted expert in reverse glass painting states, “Well-executed reverse-glass paintings do not reveal the complexity of their manufacture. Since the designs are applied to the back of glass panes, they must be built up in reverse – starting with the foreground and working “backwards” – which makes corrections virtually impossible.”

Martin continues to broaden the scope of his collectors and admirers around the globe. A completely self-taught artist, he is now shown and represented by acclaimed art galleries and dealers in Houston, Dallas, Aspen, New York, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Brussels.

In the twenty years since he began painting, his works have been sought for notable private and corporate collections, including U.S. Presidents, CEO’s, Gensler Architecture, Boeing Aerospace, Vincent and Elkins, Starbucks, the Ritz Carlton, Metropolitan Life, and MGM. The 2011 BOMA International Toby Award went to the Wells Fargo Plaza in Houston with its centerpiece -- two 21-ft. commissioned paintings by Martin. In November 2012, he celebrated the completion and installation of a 120-ft. painting aptly titled, "Velocity," consisting of 15 consecutive panels for the Formula One Racetrack, Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas.

Martin currently works and resides in Aspen, Colorado.

ABOUT LAURA RATHE FINE ART

With over 25 years’ experience in the industry, gallery owner, Laura Rathe, started her career working as a private art dealer before establishing Laura Rathe Fine Art (LRFA) in 1998 in Houston, Texas. LRFA now operates out of two locations in Houston and a third gallery in Dallas on Dragon Street, the city’s premiere arts district destination. Since the gallery's inception, LRFA has established itself as a leading contemporary art venue, offering an impressive range of exhibitions and programming to its patrons in both cities.

LRFA represents a dynamic roster of established and mid-career contemporary artists working in a variety of media, many of whom have been acquired into world-renowned private, corporate, and museum collections. Various clientele includes BBVA Compass, HKS Architects, Wells Fargo, W Hotels, UT Southwestern, Halliburton, and ConocoPhillips. LRFA also participates in a number of prominent art fairs including CONTEXT Art Miami, Art Southampton, Art Wynwood, Texas Contemporary, and the Dallas Art Fair.