>Biography: Patrick Martinez

Since the vivid days of Patrick’s childhood he was drawing or scribbling on something. In his teenage years circa early 90’s, he was introduced to Hip Hop culture and exclusively to one of its elements, graffiti. Graffiti remains a vital influence in his work. Hip Hop has influenced his art ever since he understood what it was about, movies like “Wild Style” and “Style Wars” turned him onto the Hip Hop movement in his earlier days. In 1994 he attended Pasadena High School Visual Arts and Design Academy where he learned and practiced his image making skills.

Patrick graduated high school and moved on to Pasadena City College. Patrick spent three years at PCC experimenting, developing his artistic skills and trying to find a hint of himself at the same time. He kept a steady career doing illustrations and design work mainly for underground and mainstream record labels that catered to the Hip Hop community. He art directed for Concentrated Entertainment for two years as well as other projects that came to him from other companies like Stones Throw and Seditious Beats (now Divine Forces). In 2001 he was ready to take on the next stage of art discipline. This led him to apply to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where he received a bachelor of fine arts in illustration.

Patrick focuses on the phenomenology of his surroundings. He brings sublime beauty to things that aren’t thought of as conventionally beautiful. He uses subject matter such as everyday people that aren’t usually painted into the limelight and elements of the city that would be thought of as objects we take for granted. He uses these objects as communicative mediums. Patrick works with intellect and intuition in creating pieces of art that reflect and document situations that are ever present around him. Vitality and rhythm are the essence and energy in his artwork.