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Arts / Galleries

Dark, Moody Art Gets Showcased In The Woodlands — Examining The Poetry Of Gravity With Martin Amorous

The Woodlands Arts Council Continues To Highlight Interesting Local Artists

BY // 01.20.25

Some moody and atmospheric art is getting showcased in The Woodlands. The Woodlands Arts Council’s newest show dubbed “The Poetry of Gravity,” from local artist Martin Amorous, is now on display through March 6 at the Art Council’s new headquarters/exibition space.

The solo show features Armorous’ monochromatic works exploring both physical and emotional lights and darks. Amorous says that “symbolism in my work tends to be concerned with nature/culture, shelter/place, exposure/vulnerability. The vibe is dark/apocalyptic.”

Rendered with oil paint, ink, linseed oil and enamel, these works are favored for their fluidity and the ability to flow when poured across the substrate, creating drip-and-pour works on canvas and paper. The show features two very large paintings and several smaller framed images.

“The two paintings are enamel paint with linseed oil added to it and shaken up,” Amorous tells PaperCity The Woodlands. “I just get a gallon of enamel — one black, one white. And I take linseed oil to the Sherman Williams and they shake it on that machine.”

Once his paint is prepared, Amorous begins working.

“Sometimes I don’t even know what the top or bottom would be until I get to a certain point, but the technique is one of pouring paint,” he notes. “Behind these canvases is a big support bar, so it works as a handle. So I can go behind the painting and grab the handle, and paint is probably running on the front, and I’ll go behind the painting, and then I can move it around and tilt it. And then I also have to just turn around in the studio to get them into the position where the pour would make sense.”

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Amorous Woodlands Arts Council
Martin Amorous described how working with large panels works, with exhibit curator Annette Palmer at The Woodlands Arts Council’s space.

This is art with plenty of labor involved. Because drying time is important for each layer, Amorous’ larger works take months to create.

“I keep working on the painting until I’m satisfied with the illusion both visually and mentally,” he says. “It has to stimulate me visually and intellectually. At the beginning of the process, the intent is only to end up with an illusion. And everything proceeds from there in real time.

“The first paint spill suggests the next, and so on. The natural elements in the work are made by gravity and liquid mediums and the cultural elements are made with masking tape and pinstripping tools. The juxtaposition of organic shapes and geometric shapes is a strategy for creating visual interest.

“I fall for it all the time. The final piece is a record of all the choices I made along the way.”

With Amorous electing to leave many of his works unnamed, the title of the exhibition encompasses all paintings.

“The Poetry of Gravity — it’s gravity that acts on the liquid I use (ink, oil paint) to make the tone and shapes on the canvas,” he notes. “It’s my manipulation of both (gravity and paint), that creates the illusion that the viewer sees. Poetry is the opposite of narrative. Gravity is the opposite of levity.”

Poetic Nature

Curator Annette Palmer suggests that “these monochromatic pieces explore nature’s contrasts, light and shadow, day and night. Leafless, skeletal trees in stark winter landscapes show the sophistication of the bare bones of nature — poetic, simplistic and beautifully minimal. Amorous’ unflinching black and white lines and drips work together to suggest a vast landscape while incorporating subtle interventions from the artificial world. He explores this post-apocalyptic landscape through large-scale paintings, small works on paper and short animations.

Martin Amorous art The Woodlands
Martin Amorous lets his paintings come to him rather than trying to force an idea.

Amorous retired from Sam Houston State University in 2020 after 25 years with Department of Art. In 1995, Amorous began his career in the department teaching painting, drawing and setting up the first animation studio. He became Chair of the Department of Art in 1996 and returned to teaching full-time eight years later.

He received a BFA in painting and art history, and an MA in painting, with a minor in art history from the University of New Mexico and an MFA in painting from the University of Arizona. Amorous currently lives and works in Willis with his wife Cynthia Reid, who is also an artist.

“The Poetry of Gravity” runs through March 6. The usual visiting hours at The Woodlands Arts Council headquarters at 9450 Grogan’s Mill, Suite 160 are Tuesdays through Thursdays from 1 pm to 4 pm. It is closed this Tuesday and Wednesday for the winter storms.

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