Shantell Martin: And The Art Of Spontaneity
Shantell Martin has lived and worked all over the world, but now calls Brooklyn home. Martin is an internationally-praised visual artist whose inspired and unconventional work is acclaimed for its stream-of-consciousness, improvisational style. Her work seems to flow out of her in a natural, unforced way that is reflected in the way Martin lives her life. Nothing seems predetermined, so everything is a beautiful surprise—sort of like the way Martin found herself in Brooklyn.
She tells us, “It actually took me a little while to find myself here. I moved from Tokyo to New York/Manhattan a few years ago and then really didn’t know much about Brooklyn. Slowly, after visiting friends who lived in Brooklyn and checking out some events, I realized it was just a very short train ride away and had so much to offer. Knowing that you live around the corner from so many talented and creative people is pretty amazing. The people, the talent, the pace of many parts of Brooklyn, the little things here like people saying hello when you walk down your street.” Martin’s work is celebrated for its spontaneous and almost impermanent qualities, but does she feel like her time in Brooklyn is also bound to be temporary? “I’d like to always keep my room in Brooklyn, but I do have an image of building an awesome minimal art house somewhere outside of New York.” Which, really, isn’t that all a part of our Brooklyn dreams? Never leave, but always have a way to escape.
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