Machado recently spent six months working as a deckhand on a container ship traveling around the globe, painting in a small cabin space in what little spare time he could find. He often found solace in retreating to his small room and recreating his surrounding environment through paintings done on fiberglass cloth and panel. By merging numerous layers with epoxy, it allows the scenes to blend into one homogenious image. His tendency to experiment with photography, paint, and film is fused with material commonly found on ships. Like a memory, the result is blurred between fact and creation.

While importing and exporting goods from the Middle East, Asia, and America, he contemplated topics such as are the passing and compression of time, labor vs. leisure, escapism, and most notably the ever-changing west. His painting exemplifies these themes with organic shapes, distressed composition and the vivid colors.

Martin Machado received a BFA from UC Santa Barbara in 2003 and his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2007. His art has been featured in galleries throughout San Francisco including Southern Exposure and 111 Minna as well as throughout California, Nevada and even Malaysia. He currently lives and works in San Francisco.

The opening reception of Reflections Adrift, works by Martin Machado, is set for April 9th, 2010 from 7-10pm and is a 21+ event.

The show will be on view throughout the month of April at Heart, 1270 Valencia Street, San Francisco.

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