In this untitled drawing from his “Reticulations” series, Cameron Martin uses tight linear patterns (sometimes twenty-five or so lines per inch for each layer of color) to create surfaces that appear to vibrate and shift over time. When conflicting sets of patterns interface, seams or scars form and rupture the stability of the surface. In all works from this series Martin uses a single motif—the serial repetition of straight lines drawn either vertically or slightly diagonally with a straight edge and a fine point marker. With a focus on perceptual movement, Martin’s drawings force an inevitable comparison to Op Art, but their scale, luminosity, and hyper-intense color reflect the contemporary world of portable screens, tablets, and smart phones. At a distance, this drawing takes on a green tint as the pure yellow and blue lines blend as the viewer experiences them, a phenomenon called “optical mixture.”
–When We Were Young: Rethinking Abstraction From The University At Albany Art Collections (1967-Present)

Cameron Martin (b. 1970, American) is best known for his large-scale, photographically based landscape paintings. In 2014, he began working against this approach, returning to elements that he felt brought back a sense of play and freedom to his studio practice. This work is part of his recent non-objective output that addresses generative roles for abstraction. The small-scale painting maintains a distinct optical and conceptual framework comprised of both interconnected and disrupted forms. Speaking about his work, he says, “I often think of the paintings as operating the way a community ideally could, with strong individuals working in tandem, finding affinities but also antagonizing each other in order to produce something larger.”
–Affinities and Outliers: Highlights from the University at Albany Fine Art Collections