About the Artist
KNOX MARTIN IN STUDIO, 2012 (photo: G. Ryan)
Knox Martin (1923-2022) was an esteemed New York School painter.
Knox Martin was born in 1923
in Barranquilla, Colombia. He was the son of the aviator, painter, and poet William Knox Martin, the first man to fly over the Andes mountains.
After serving in World War II, Knox
Martin attended the Art Students
League of New York on the G.I. Bill
from 1946-1950, where he studied
with Harry Sternberg, Vaclav Vytlacil, Will Barnet, and Morris
Kantor.
In 1954, Knox Martin's friend Franz Kline placed a painting of his in the Stable Gallery Annual.
Charles Egan of the renowned Charles Egan Gallery saw Knox Martin's painting at the Stable Gallery and asked Martin to show his work in a one-man show for the tenth anniversary of the Egan Gallery.
Since then, Knox Martin was a celebrated painter, sculptor and muralist. Knox Martin had an extensive exhibition record and his work is in museum, corporate and private collections worldwide. His two best-known murals in NYC are Venus and Woman with Bicycle. Knox Martin was the recipient of many grants and awards, most recently the Benjamin West Clinedinst Memorial Medal, awarded by the Artists’ Fellowship “for the achievement of exceptional artistic merit.”
Knox Martin also led a distinguished career teaching art. He taught at Yale Graduate School of the Arts, New York University, University of Minnesota, International School of Art in Umbria, Italy, and Fort Rajgat, India. For over 45 years, Knox Martin gave a legendary Master Class at the Art Students League of New York.
Knox Martin lived and worked in New York City.
Knox Martin is represented by Hollis Taggart.
Knox Martin was born in 1923
in Barranquilla, Colombia. He was the son of the aviator, painter, and poet William Knox Martin, the first man to fly over the Andes mountains.
After serving in World War II, Knox
Martin attended the Art Students
League of New York on the G.I. Bill
from 1946-1950, where he studied
with Harry Sternberg, Vaclav Vytlacil, Will Barnet, and Morris
Kantor.
In 1954, Knox Martin's friend Franz Kline placed a painting of his in the Stable Gallery Annual.
Charles Egan of the renowned Charles Egan Gallery saw Knox Martin's painting at the Stable Gallery and asked Martin to show his work in a one-man show for the tenth anniversary of the Egan Gallery.
Since then, Knox Martin was a celebrated painter, sculptor and muralist. Knox Martin had an extensive exhibition record and his work is in museum, corporate and private collections worldwide. His two best-known murals in NYC are Venus and Woman with Bicycle. Knox Martin was the recipient of many grants and awards, most recently the Benjamin West Clinedinst Memorial Medal, awarded by the Artists’ Fellowship “for the achievement of exceptional artistic merit.”
Knox Martin also led a distinguished career teaching art. He taught at Yale Graduate School of the Arts, New York University, University of Minnesota, International School of Art in Umbria, Italy, and Fort Rajgat, India. For over 45 years, Knox Martin gave a legendary Master Class at the Art Students League of New York.
Knox Martin lived and worked in New York City.
Knox Martin is represented by Hollis Taggart.
"Art is at its cutting edge out of a specific lineage - the creation of reality. The subject matter of what I do is Art."
-Knox Martin
Awards and Honors
2016 French Legion of Honour
2012 Benjamin West Clinedinst Memorial Medal, Artists’ Fellowship, Inc.
2009 Mary & Maxwell Desser Memorial Award and J. Sanford Saltus Medal for Painting, National Academy of Design, New York
2008 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant
Lifetime Achievement Award for Artistic Excellence, NOMAA, New York
2007 Kept Memorial Prize, National Academy of Design, New York
2005 Desser Award for Painting, National Academy of Design, New York
2002 Named to the National Academy of Design
1998 Named to Who's Who in American Art
1991 Gottlieb Foundation Grant
1988 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant
1978 C.A.P.S. Grant
1973 Artist Fellowship, Visual Arts Program, National Endowment for the Arts
1972 Balloonist Award, Mat Wiedekehr, St. Paul, Minnesota
1958,1957 Longview Fellowship (3 purchase awards)
2012 Benjamin West Clinedinst Memorial Medal, Artists’ Fellowship, Inc.
2009 Mary & Maxwell Desser Memorial Award and J. Sanford Saltus Medal for Painting, National Academy of Design, New York
2008 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant
Lifetime Achievement Award for Artistic Excellence, NOMAA, New York
2007 Kept Memorial Prize, National Academy of Design, New York
2005 Desser Award for Painting, National Academy of Design, New York
2002 Named to the National Academy of Design
1998 Named to Who's Who in American Art
1991 Gottlieb Foundation Grant
1988 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant
1978 C.A.P.S. Grant
1973 Artist Fellowship, Visual Arts Program, National Endowment for the Arts
1972 Balloonist Award, Mat Wiedekehr, St. Paul, Minnesota
1958,1957 Longview Fellowship (3 purchase awards)
Artists and Critics speak on Knox Martin
"Knox, you are the only one around with aesthetics!" "You are my mentor. For years, I always asked, what would Knox think of my painting?" “You are the greatest living American painter.” "I was present when Knox Martin changed the life of a major artist by diagramming the basic structure of a Frans Hals. That artist was Al Held." "Knox, you are the spirit of art!" "Knox, your work has a snooty look about it, I haven't seen outside of Matisse." "There are many sexually overt works in this exhibit but the painting with no recognizable image, (Caraja) by Knox Martin; its head and shoulders more sexy than anything there!" |
"Anyone interested in drawing should see this exhibition of drawings by Knox Martin; he is his own man!" “This is the greatest painting!” "This is the greatest drawing I have ever seen!" "Charlie Egan has taken you on. You have no idea how jealous everyone is that you have been taken on by Charlie." After Knox had given a talk on children's art (Olivia's paintings and drawings) age 6, on paper and blackboard, to Cy Twombly, Bob and Susan Rauchenberg -- Cy jumped up and said, "That's what I am going to do for the rest of my life!" He did. "Knox Martin was the first artist whose work I thought about critically and analytically." "Knox, your paintings are first rate!" |
Knox Martin entry in Wikipedia
Special Thanks
Photo: Minoru Nizuma
The work of the last few years would not be possible without the love and patronage of the artist Karon Johnson.