Pierre Noël Martin (French 1951-2006) is a relatively unknown artist. He was French but lived and worked in London. Most works by him date from the 1970s and 1980s. The earliest work I found dates from 1969. Three of his works were displayed at the 1970 exhibition of the Hampstead Artist’s Council at the Camden Arts Centre, an exhibition that also featured work by Ron Hitchins and many others. His artworks are mainly wood and nylon structures and mixed media wall hangings. The wall hangings are typically abstract works made of wood, metal objects or plastics. He fits in with a tradition of constructivism and was clearly influenced by artists like Naum Gabo. His work can also be described as Op Art as it clearly uses geometric forms to create an optical effect.
This work in particular is great as it combines both the Op Art and Constructivist ideas. I have listed it here in my collection of Brutalist Art as it also shares some of the attributes you would typically associate with that movement.
It’s made of wood, probably teak, and the artist has clearly had some fun experimenting with the material. The construction, which is titled ‘Roughcut’ on the back and dated April 1979, consists of numerous, small open wooden boxes that are glued together and mounted in front of a painted board. It is very three dimensional as the front of all the boxes have been cut in different wavy shapes which gives an unexpected different dimension when seen from the side rather than head-on. In addition, some of the boxes are purposefully placed at an angle to the rest of the construction which gives the whole work an exciting dynamism. The wood itself is untreated and the whole item has a very distinct ‘retro’ feel to it while the natural colours help to make it fit into almost any interior.
What I like especially about this item is how it is so typically a piece of its time without feeling dated. It has some similarities with works by Brian Willsher, an artist known for his inventive wooden sculptures.
‘Roughcut’ is exactly that; a rather roughly cut wooden sculpture, but it is precisely because it is not highly polished that makes it so charming. It really makes you wonder what kind of person the artist was and it is really a pity not much more is known about him.
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