David Martinello uses print, sculpture, painting, film, poetry, installation and performance alongside traditional woodworking to explore the embedded gestures of wood. Working with the natural attributes of the material, Martinello contemplates wood’s legacy to develop a holistic account of its influence within the landscape.
Martinello’s practice is informed by a BFA from Queen's University and years of building furniture with his company Alternative Woodworks. He has curatorial experience in several venues, including his creation of Points Art Gallery. Martinello’s sculptures, paintings and prints have been shown across Canada and he’s had Public Artworks commissioned by municipalities throughout BC and in Alberta.
StatementMy approach to art comes from an experience we all relate to, admiring the breadth of a tree and picking up a stick to inspect its beauty. Enamoured by the materiality of wood, I’m curious about how its nature mediates the mechanics of meaning between art and craft. Evaluating wood is a way to navigate the world; its influence is a measure and representative of any landscape and is fundamental to understanding frameworks within the economy of life.
