In "Into Thin Air", a landscape dissolves into atmosphere, memory, and color. With richly textured layers of oil and collage, the artist constructs a fragmented vista where geometry and gesture converge. Glimpses of distant mountains, gridded architecture, and glowing reds emerge through veils of cool blues and greens. A collage element—an intricate radio dial—sits embedded within the surface like a relic, suggesting the presence of time, signal, or echo. This piece invites viewers to navigate both the physical and psychological terrain of place, loss, and recollection. The painting is signed by the artist along the bottom edge. It is wired and ready to hang.
Notes from the Artist
"Time is a theme that I have been exploring ever since I lost my mother to Alzheimer’s.
"During a recent trip to California, I stood looking across the vista. The mountains in the distance reminded me of the Hudson Valley views I’d seen during hikes I took while I was in my late twenties.
"Back at my easel, I began to paint the reality of those images from pictures I’d taken for reference. Memories and emotions from the past flood in. The distortion in the paintings come from mixed signals, like being in a crowded room with many conversations going on. Time distorts memories - some are left clear as though I saw it yesterday, others are faded and obscure.
"The paintings 'Forgotten Memories' and 'Into Thin Air' are results of that process: partially accurate, partially faded recollections."
- Ned Martin
Located in Brooklyn, Ned Martin is inspired by hectic city life. His work touches on the subjects of nature and community, which are drawn from his childhood memories of rural Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland. Martin’s work is a commentary on the global society, and the idea that everything is connected as one. After studying Fine Arts at Towson State University in Maryland, Martin continued his formal art training at the Schuler School of Fine Arts in Baltimore. Embracing his training and his meticulous process, Martin grinds his own paints. He has painted en plein air on the River Seine in Paris, Scotland, and Italy, all of which have shaped his artistic vision.
Ned Martins ays of his work, “I have long believed artists are like mirrors. My job is to reflect that which others are missing while they go about their busy lives. I somehow wish my paintings were less biased, yet, my own emotions from life experiences are in every painting I create. While I still struggle with the idea, I must be completely honest that every painting is a self-portrait.”
About Sorelle Gallery:
Sorelle Gallery is a woman-owned fine art gallery and art advisory firm located in Westport, Connecticut. Representing nearly fifty artists, Sorelle carries a wide variety of art styles from modern abstract to impressionistic landscapes, and more. Sorelle's mission is to not only support the emerging and established artists they represent, but to help clients curate their own spaces, invest confidently, and buy what they love.