Conflation

New York–based painter and printmaker Cameron Martin grew up in Washington State, where the volcanically active Mount Rainier looms large on the landscape and in the imagination. His studies of nature often have a very limited palette, yet, upon closer inspection, the seemingly spare, graphic appearance of Conflation gives way to carefully nuanced, slight shifts of transparent color—16 layers and 39 colors in all. The artist’s intention is to reward those who take the time to look closely and fully engage with the art. His choice of slightly out-of-place, or “toxic, ” color is his response to the increasing containment and commoditization of nature. In this way, Martin’s interpretation of Mount Rainier is not intended to be an accurate depiction, but instead is designed to function as a cultural signifier or contemporary icon of this well-known mountain vista.