Toby Martin (1951-2012)

Mason Murer and the Atlanta art world are in mourning this week. On Wednesday, April 25 2012, Frank Toby Martin passed away.

Toby was more than just one of our artists, he was our friend. Throughout his battle with cancer, he continued to visit us here at the gallery, filling our space with an energy and spirit that was undeniably Toby. Having a conversation with Toby was electrifying and peaceful all at the same time. Anyone that has had the pleasure of meeting Toby, will know exactly what we mean. Toby was one of the most genuine people you could ever meet. You always knew Toby was listening and always felt that he cared.

Toby was one of those great men that would not let anyone settle for anything less than their full potential. This wonderful quality can be seen in his loving family, who are in our thoughts.

Toby Martin will be remembered by us as a fantastic artist, a visionary, a teacher, a mentor, a great man, and a true friend. Toby, you are and will be missed.

Read more about Toby Martin here

Toby Martin, Sculpture Conference: Debate is on Love

Toby Martin, Sculpture Conference: Debate is on Love

Posted in [ updates ] | Comments Off

The Fresh Blood Acceptance list is in.

Thank you to all those that submitted to Fresh Blood. We got an unbelievable number of quality submissions. You can find the list of accepted artists and works, as well as information on what to do next, on the Fresh Blood page.

Fresh Blood

Posted in [ exhibitions ], [ updates ] | Comments Off

Alexi Torres in the News

Alexi Torres, Grand Central Station

Alexi Torres, Grand Central Station, Oil on Canvas, 84 x 132 Inches

Click the links below to see the full articles.

Huffington Post: Alexi Torres’ Images Made of Woven Leaves, Feathers And Organic Materials

Mail Online: Weave never seen anything like it: Artist who paints like other people knit

Colossal Art and Design: The Woven Oil Paintings of Alexi Torres

Posted in [ press ] | Comments Off

Two of our artists getting some well-deserved press: Paul Cadden and Stephen Hayes

Two of our artist have been in the press lately, getting the recognition and attention they deserve. Congratulations to Paul Cadden and Stephen Hayes.

Click the titles to link to the full articles.

Paul Cadden: No, they’re not photographs! The astonishing pictures drawn by PENCIL

Paul Cadden, NVA 43

Paul Cadden, NVA 43, Graphite on Paper

Stephen Hayes: Cash Crop is an artistic rendering of the slave trade’s grim reality

Stephen Hayes, Cash Crop

Stephen Hayes, Cash Crop


Posted in [ press ] | Comments Off

Julianne Trew reviewed by Jerry Cullum and ArtsATL

Congratulations to Julianne Trew for being reviewed by Jerry Cullum and ArtsATL. Her works can be seen here, at Mason Murer Fine Art, through April 6.

The following is an excerpt from Gallery notes: Lilian Garcia-Roig, Julianne Trew, Samuel Stabler, Christina Bray, Diana Kirkland on ArtsATL.com.

Review by Jerry Cullum.

MASON MURER FINE ART

Julianne Trew’s “Aura”

Emerging Atlanta artist Julianne Trew makes her subtractive paintings, at Mason Murer Fine Art and Kibbee Gallery for the month of March, by removing rolled-on paint from linoleum panels, using everything from napkins to Q-tips.

The floating conglomerations of objects depicted in them resemble seed pods, spiny sea creatures, clusters of fruit, tufts of feathers, petals and stamens and spirals of who knows what, but when looked at closely, they are none of these. The forms melt into one another and transmute whenever we try to make exact visual sense of them.

They are, in fact, as pure a product of the subconscious as we are likely to see this season in Atlanta. As elusive as, say, Max Ernst’s famous frottage paintings, they look like perverse versions of Rococo run amok, with the sensuous results being disturbingly dark rather than playfully light.

As titles such as “Dreamcatcher,” “Aura” and “Messages” suggest, Trew is well aware of the visionary quality of her work. What distinguishes it from garden-variety versions of contemporary surrealism is its genuine originality. Instead of reproducing others’ overly familiar images from the inner world, she creates exceptionally distinctive ones of her own.

Read the full review HERE.

Posted in [ press ] | Comments Off