Today we’d like to introduce you to Nan Martin.
Hi Nan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been sewing and creating off and on throughout my life for myself and later for my 4 children. I obtained a BS degree in clothing and textiles while juggling family responsibilities and with a husband in grad school. I found myself in a dark place after the death of our youngest son (age 16) in a tragic accident in 1994… My husband encouraged me to take classes at the local community college to help me work through the loss and grief. I took sculpture classes for years, where I was introduced to wire and clay. I was drawn to the difficult nature of working in wire with its hard expressive fluidity. I later obtained an MA in sculpture. I also worked in clay and mold making focusing on my original, expressive faces. The hard quality of wire and cement, cast from my ceramic faces, for years, seemed to satisfy my need to express life’s trials and difficulties. I seem to have worked through the hard madness of life’s experience and now, in my 70s, embrace the softness of my textile youthfulness. Soft, whimsical characters are showing up in my work in 2023. And I love them.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Had an unusual, isolated upbringing in 1950s Hollywood. Divorced mother and strict grandmother came to US from Casablanca. Morocco after German occupation of North Africa. French was my first language. I was a hippie in the in the 1960s when we moved to San Francisco. Hitchhiking everywhere, rock concerts, drugs, tear-gassed at Berkeley, lived on boats in Sausalito for three years, no running water, no electricity, anchored out most of the time. Too many stories.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Known for my large anthropomorphic wire shapes. Also known for my cement faces often incorporated into my wire and textile sculptures. One of a kind art.
What makes you happy?
Nan’s hierarchy of happiness:
1 – family
2 – studio time
3 – hanging out with artists
4 – gardening
5 – early morning walks
Contact Info:
- Website: www.exposedparts.com
Image Credits
Nan Martin images
