What is the inspiration behind this project?
Hedwig Solis Weinstein, Head of BMW Brand Cooperations Arts & Design: It starts with BMW’s passion for creativity which is expressed in our 50 years involvement in cultural projects across various genres. We are driven by enabling creative dialogues and for this purpose we teamed up with curator Pedro Alonzo and Patrick Martinez to explore the influence of urban landscape on contemporary art and convey a feeling of community despite times of social distancing.
How do the streets influence your work and what are the key elements?
Patrick Martinez: The street landscape definitely influences my work as it provides the visual reference as well as physical material I’m using to compose my work. However my influences aren’t limited to just a conventional “street” esthetic but I would say more of a community esthetic. When I approach these pieces I’m thinking about friends and family that live in different areas in and around LA. I think about personal relationships, histories, stories my brother tells me, stories my friends share. I run through these things as I’m responding to the materials I’m using or maybe of an idea materializes on the panel I will relate it to all of these thoughts.