Words and Lines
Shantell Martin: Words and Lines
Denver Art Museum
100 W. 14th Avenue Parkway, Denver, CO 80204
September 27, 2019-May 31, 2021
Admission: Adults: $10; Seniors, Students, and Military: $8; Children 18 & under and Members: free. First Saturdays of each month: free.
Review by Courtney Lindly
As you step inside the Denver Art Museum (DAM), Shantell Martin’s artwork currently greets you. Parts of Martin’s installation Words and Lines are sprinkled throughout the museum, but what you first encounter is a message from Martin that reads “DO LESS BE MORE” accompanied by flowing lines and birds. It’s a signature design for the artist, who has grown into her own fame in recent years.
The first wall drawing of Shantell Martin’s installation Words and Lines, 2019, vinyl, video projection, wood, and acrylic marker, on display at the Denver Art Museum, here above the ticket counter. Image by Courtney Lindly.
Martin’s work might seem simple, but it actually has a subtle depth. With strokes of acrylic marker she employs open-ended questions and playful images to convey spontaneity fueled by good intention. She is also mindful, meditative even, in the process of creating these works.
The outside doors of the adorned elevator that is part of Shantell Martin’s installation Words and Lines, 2019, vinyl, video projection, wood, and acrylic marker, at the Denver Art Museum. Image by Courtney Lindly.
A view of Shantell Martin’s drawing of a column of balancing stick figures, which appears on all four floors of the Denver Art Museum. Image by Courtney Lindly.
Martin's words and lines appear on the DAM central elevator doors as well, beckoning visitors to follow the path she drew. There are clues everywhere, like the slanted pillar rising through all four levels of the museum that features her stick figure drawings. At the top, the final stick figure stands on a ledge, lifting the others up. To make it to the top floor, you step into Martin’s adorned elevator and find yourself engulfed in her world. Every inch is filled with her undulating lines, iconic faces, and distinctive prompts: “who are you” “why are you here today” “up” “up.”
Shantell Martin’s Words and Lines installation on display in the Precourt Family Discovery Hall at the Denver Art Museum. Image by Courtney Lindly.
On the second floor you’ll find the central display of Words and Lines in the Precourt Family Discovery Hall. Here, Martin’s swirling lines and playful video projection pull you in and her immersive installation entices you to stay. The projection shows a recording of Martin making her lines, letters, and words—an effective way to display her highly sought after in-person performances. Her drawings across the wall feature her symbolic tress, ambiguous faces, phrases, and even nonsensical words that reiterate a sense of play.
Shantell Martin wearing the sunglasses she designed for Max Mara in 2017. Image courtesy of shantellmartin.art.
Often, Martin’s work crops up in unusual public spaces, like in the concrete sidewalk in front of Denver’s light rail train stop at the Convention Center, on Puma sneakers, or on Max Mara sunglasses. Her drawings are consistently recognizable and she has created an individual iconography all her own.
Martin’s trajectory within the art world and her style are comparable to Keith Haring’s rise to stardom and his signature way of drawing. Like Haring, Martin is widely known for commercializing her works for the mass market as well. You can buy her art in a coloring book or printed on a blanket, a T-shirt, or a mug. She actively chooses to sell her work to the masses, frequently appearing in museum gift shops to make her drawings accessible to most everyone.
Clothing that Shantell Martin designed for Puma in 2018. Image courtesy of shantellmartin.art.
While Martin’s fine art pieces on her website range from $185 to $1,500, her NFTs can be purchased for 2.00 ETH—a crypt currency that is equivalent to roughly $5,400 USD at the time of publishing. You can also visit the Absolut Art site (yes, the vodka) to retrieve a print of the artist’s work for $395. Martin is clearly mindful of her pricing. Although she has entered into the commercial fine art world and has a steady grip there, she also chooses not to inflate her prices. Of course, her pieces have sold for thousands more at auction houses and galleries—an indication of the market and demand for her work.
Some people may say she has sold out, but sold out to what exactly? Martin didn’t begin with her art in museums and galleries. She started as a successful VJ (visual jockey) accompanying musical acts in Japan before making New York City her home in 2008. Now, her name has been shouted by auctioneers within the halls of Sotheby’s and her work recently sprawled throughout the New York City Ballet’s theater.
A component of Shantell Martin’s installation Words and Lines, 2019, vinyl, video projection, wood, and acrylic marker, on display at the Denver Art Museum. Image by Courtney Lindly.
Just as Martin operates in the art world, Words and Lines pushes the physical boundaries of the DAM. Her drawings expand beyond the Discovery Hall and wander throughout the slanted spaces of the Hamilton Building. She stands apart from her fine art counterparts as she pushes and pulls on the Institution’s boundaries as well. With good intention behind her actions, her “words and lines” move from her hand to the streets to the walls of the DAM.
Courtney Lindly is a recent graduate from University of Denver with a B.A. in Art History— focusing on modern and contemporary art—and Business Administration. She is fascinated by the complexities surrounding art appreciation and exchange, specifically the global art market. She enjoys making accessible opportunities for creative experiences and a strong cup of black coffee.
