About Martin Whatson
Martin Whatson (b. 1984) is a Norwegian-born and based stencil artist. While studying Art and Graphic design at Westerdals School of Communication, Oslo, he discovered stencils and the urban art scene. After following graffiti and its development, he started his own stencil production 10 years ago in the winter of 2004.
Martin has a continuous urge to search for beauty in what is commonly dismissed as ugly, out of style, or simply left behind. He looks for inspirations in people, city landscapes, old buildings, graffiti, posters, and decaying walls. This interest in decay has helped develop his style, motives, and composition and he enjoys creating either unity or conflict between materials, backgrounds, motives, and human intervention. His artistic expression started more political but has developed into a more subtle expression blending graffiti, stencil art, and decay together.
Inspired by artists like Jose Parlá and Cy Twombly. His abstract graffiti and stencils are a mix of urban scenes showing the development of a wall’s lifetime. He uses grey tones as a basis but add’s vibrant colors to break the monochrome concrete expression and bring a splash of life to his motives. Since his artistic debut in 2004, he has had several solo shows and participated in many group exhibitions, both nationally and in international metropoles like Tokyo, Paris, London, New York, and Los Angeles.
About Snik
Internationally-acclaimed artists SNIK combine the creation of hand-cut, multi-layered stencils with haunting, ethereal portraiture, born from a male/female dual perspective.
This traditional-craft, progressive-ethos approach has seen the duo commissioned on walls the world over; their post-industrial scenes loom large over passersby in locations as diverse as Aberdeen (Scotland), Stavanger (Norway), Miami, and Hong Kong.
Away from city streets, the pair have become revered by urban-contemporary art collectors in recent years, thanks to rare releases of editions that can take up to a year to produce – the smaller scale and intricacy of layered stencil work requires incredibly precise cuts and careful compositional thought.
The pay-off, however, has proved more than worthwhile for buyers, who covet the simple aesthetics of spilling, tangled hair and floating fabrics: modern scrutiny of pre-raphaelite sensibilities. It is that questioning, accepting the narrative that SNIK pursue, and one that has captured the attention of critics, art-lovers, and collectors alike
Level P1 Provenance
Works with P1 Level Provenance have a documented history of ownership. These works are obtained by the gallery by the Artist or Publisher, or transferred to the gallery by the original purchaser. These works are sold with a provenance report that includes:
- A Detailed Description of The Work
- High-Resolution Photographs
- Artist Biography
- Condition Report
- Gallery Invoice
- Bill of Sale
- Copy of Original Purchase Documents
- Statement from Original Purchaser (Completed at the discretion of original owner)
- Ownership History