Gifted beyond belief, Ricardo Martinez does the kind of work that makes me feel like a total art weakling. His ideas are great. His designs are great. He captures light and shadow with variety of crosshatching patterns, which give his work rich texture and style. If a gallery had all of his work hanging, I think I would take a very good look at each piece…multiple times. All at the same time it inspires and depresses me.
The gorilla is awesome, but the scratches that make up the leafy background are even more amazing – my favorite part of the image.
The skin of the whale blows me away. It has texture and yet looks smooth. The light and shadow really make this piece work.