Martin Townsend

Born in Memphis, TN 1992, Martin Townsend explores observations on the human condition primarily through the use of paint. With a background in drafting and design, Townsend received his Associate's of Art from Fresno City College as well as a Bachelor's of Fine Art and a Bachelor's of Art in Art Education from California State University. Townsend is currently based out of Fresno working with the local community to create more engaging public art.

This piece is a part of a series that makes use of the California landscape to explore my fascination with its industrial features and is informed by growing socio-political concerns. My experiences with these somber spaces between Chico and Fresno evoke a sense of being an explorer of the forsaken. Each scene prompts one to ask ‘How did this place get to such a point of decay?’ These paintings are a space for me to unpack this question while being indicative of the simultaneous apprehension and wonder the spaces create. I invite viewers to enter the spaces and to question their condition and how it relates to topics like the American housing crisis, civil conflict, and climate change anxiety.