James T. Martin, Artist

The weather was finally pleasant, with the wind softly blowing. An amateur Jazz Band played in the distance as people walked throughout the square, stopping to admire the work of various artists. James T. Martin approached potential customers, saying, “It’ll look nice in your house,” as they would pause by his station. Every once in a while the wind blew through his shoulder length hair, tugging on his hat as he would smile, wipe paint on his already paint covered shorts, and offer an anecdote. He was approachable, but knew how to work in the environment, and was not afraid to direct customers to the nearest ATM to ensure a purchase.When James T. Martin came out to work in New Orleans in 2000, he, like many young artists, wanted to bring his style of fine art to the world. He quickly discovered that, while an artist will make sales, have great conversations, and receive support; there are other outlets to pursue the work that is for them. Out in Jackson Square, it is important to give the people what they want and he is not ashamed. “You can make as much money as you want, depending on how willing you are to make paintings for the people,” he explains. Yet he still gets accused of making them for himself. What he sells at Jackson Square

When James T. Martin came out to work in New Orleans in 2000, he, like many young artists, wanted to bring his style of fine art to the world. He quickly discovered that, while an artist will make sales, have great conversations, and receive support; there are other outlets to pursue the work that is for them. Out in Jackson Square, it is important to give the people what they want and he is not ashamed. “You can make as much money as you want, depending on how willing you are to make paintings for the people,” he explains. Yet he still gets accused of making them for himself. What he sells at Jackson Square is his bread and butter. He is out there to make rent. Then he goes home to work on his other pieces; pieces that are closer to his heart. “It’s a balancing act,” he says, “but it’s a good problem to have.”

In a tourist area like Jackson Square, cameras are consistently out taking pictures of the surroundings, the artists, and their work. Someone can take a photo of a painting anywhere and essentially have that painting for nothing. James T. Martin has tried to prevent losing his income to the power of a camera by working in a three dimensional style. No matter the angle, a picture will not be able to accurately display the work or do it justice. It is not something one can profit off of. These artists are not just in competition with each other. They also have to compete with the camera’s ability to duplicate their work, leaving them with no compensation.

James T. Martin explains that Jackson Square is a job for life. He has never heard of someone losing his or her license in a punitive way. As long as the artists regularly pay the very reasonable fees and can drag themselves out there, Jackson Square is available to them. With the decline in the economy, licenses have been harder to attain. For the last three or four years people have waited in line and overnight in an attempt to get a license on the one day each that year they are issued. However, waiting in that line with the necessary paperwork is no guarantee. The number of available ones depends on how many artists did not renew theirs, as there are a fixed number of licenses. Even then, there are twice as many licenses as there are spots out on the square.
The artists, while they may be friends, are constantly in competition with one another. As James T. Martin described, “Just because they set up next to you, doesn’t mean they are your friend. You have to get over the tension. Or not. It’s one of the ways that the market is self-regulating.” New artists can join the scene as those who can’t handle the environment don’t set up and don’t renew their license.
That being said, James T. Martin pointed out that while there is competition, there is also the opportunity to learn from one another. Aside from the clichés – the guy playing the saxophone leaning against the lamppost – he has almost never seen direct imitation.

There is a committee that is designed to settle disputes and be the artists’ public relations. James T. Martin has only ever heard it referred to as “The Committee”. He served on this committee in 2003 and 2004 trying to improve certain conditions for the artists. His main goals were to start artist set up zones, which happened, and to address the issue with cart storage, which never got resolved to his liking. Instead he packs all of his materials into the cart, loads it into his van, and transports it to and from work every day.

He was sitting doing nothing at his catholic school in Virginia, when the art teacher came in and said, “If you’d like to take art classes, follow me.” Similar to most students, 12-year-old James T. Martin went not out of interest for the arts, but simply because he did not want to be in study hall.
Their very first assignment was to make a line with a Chinese brush and black ink across the top of the page. Then, attempt to draw an identical version of that line directly below it. After the first couple of weeks, this laborious task had finished weeding out those who were there to fool around. For James T. Martin it opened his eyes to a new skill.

The series of work displayed was called the “St. Roch Series” after the area where he salvages much of his material — scraps of wood from various renovations. His modern, surrealist-abstract style along with Nietzschean and mythological themes give his pieces character and a story, but the city is his inspiration. It is the sentimental mentality of New Orleans and the present. He sums up this idea in a poem,

“Even in New Orleans,
walking under the oaks
I long for New Orleans.”

One of his favorite pieces, he titled it “They Came From the Moon.” It involved the house and tree, with a red wedge at the horizon line that thrusts through the painting. This wedge breaks the house and tree into two pieces in a cartoon-like fashion. He calls it “They Came From the Moon” because the moon in Greek mythology represents the collective, the group. It goes through different phases like the group changes its membership, but the sun is always the same. The sun is likened to the individual. Ever since Katrina, many of the problems come from the collective, the group and the government coming in and messing things up. In a way, they came from the moon.

Another, somewhat controversial, piece that has received many comments and questions is titled “Tax Day.” It is a house with a large blue spike thrusting vertically through it, again splitting it in a cartoon-like fashion. However it is not split in half but instead separated 40/60. He says with a laugh, “You know 40% for them, 60% for you.” James T. Martin’s St. Roch Series does not simply create visually appealing and intriguing pieces with character. He also looks at our system through a critical eye and humorous mind, and infuses it into these appealing, commercial images — these paintings of a house and a tree.