Prevailing Purity, circa 1958, ink over crayon on paper on board
10.5 x 14 inches/27 x 36 cm
Private Collection
Martin made drawings with crayon (or rubbings over a block with crayon) and then overlayed the crayon image with ink. The crayon resists the ink, leaving the image surrounded and filled by black ink.
Herbath (to Billie Holiday), circa 1959, ink over crayon and rubbing on paper
30 x 20 inches/76 x 51 cm
Private Collection
Magic Like Art is Hoax Redeemed by Awe, 1960, Crayon and ink on paper
8 ¼ x 11 1/8 inches
Private Collection
Untitled (Egyptian Boats), 1963, Ink resist over crayon rubbing on paper
8.25 x 10.75 inches/21 x 27 cm
Estate of Don and Joan Gilbert Martin
8 ¼ x 11 1/8 inches
Private Collection
This painting is a recreation of an architectural drawing Martin found in an ancient manuscript. The drawing showed, in cross section both above and below the earth, a sacrificial temple and surrounding courtyard. The ancient priests who built the temple wanted to inspire awe and wonder and made its doors fling open as if by magic. This actually worked by an ingenious underground device. First, a large brazier in the courtyard was ignited. The heated air from the fire entered a tube and inflated a hidden animal skin into a balloon-like shape. This in turn tightened the ropes attached to the rotating poles and thus, as if by a mysterious force, the temple doors swung open and the ceremony began.
Just Above the Head #1,"Now and Then to Ray Charles," circa 1962, ink over crayon on file folder
11.75 x 9 inches/30 x 23 cm
Estate of Don and
Joan Gilbert Martin
Just Above the Head #6, circa 1962, ink over crayon on file folder
11.75 x 9 inches/30 x 23 cm
Estate of Don and
Joan Gilbert Martin
8.25 x 10.75 inches/21 x 27 cm
Estate of Don and Joan Gilbert Martin
(photos of art work: Tony Grant © 2017, Rick Pharaoh © 2017, Joan Gilbert Martin)