There is a pronounced elusiveness in the work of Martyn Reynolds; not only in terms of possible intent, or meaning, but also its materiality and form. With his preference of working in materials such as aluminium and velvet, and with a restricted palette of predominantly silvers and blacks, they appear simultaneously svelte, elegant, refined, and also brutal, glib. And these seemingly contradictory aspects do not seem discordant. Nowadays, contradiction or paradox seems more normal than not. (Cognative dissonance has become the buzzword du jour, especially amongst pop commentators who want to sound deep.) We see it everywhere, from politics to high fashion. For instance, the aesthetics that one associates with contemporary luxury goods equally recall those of authoritarian regimes of both present and recent past. Nor we can dismiss them as simply kitsch, for there is no certainty of irony being at play. Reynolds' work manifests a harmonious discord apropos to our modern condition: hooks and hammers; Richard Nixon and Zhou Enlai, the Kardashians, Emmanuel Macron and Manuel Valls; liberalism, authoritarianism, libertarianism, the bourgeoisie, contemporary art. It all makes total sense.
Martyn Reynolds (b. 1981, Philadelphia, U.S.A.) lives and works in Vienna, Austria. He studied sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, Austria and the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Exhibition highlights include presentations with 21er Haus, Vienna; Rogland Kunstsenter, Stavanger; La Salle de Bains, Lyon; Adam Art Gallery, Wellington; Gus Fisher Gallery, Auckland; Louis Reed, New York; Sydney, Sydney; Gloria Knight, Auckland; and Sue Crockford Gallery, Auckland. He has also previously worked as a studio assistant for artist and writer Josef Strau, and is credited as the originator of the title for Hito Steyerl's publication "Too Much World”.