Pen & Paper: Patrick Martinez

Just like many of the artists featured on HYPEBEAST, Patrick Martinez was introduced to the vivid art world through hip-hop, exclusively through one of its founding elements: graffiti. His early inspirations came from cult classics like “Wild Style” and “Style Wars,” and today his work is still largely influenced by the now commercialized culture. After spending much of the late ’90s and early 2000s honing his craft through the education system, Martinez started his professional career completing freelance work for underground and mainstream record labels alike that catered to the hip-hop community. Today, the LA-based artist has garnered international acclaim for his solo exhibits where he focuses on delivering sublime beauty to things that aren’t typically thought of as conventionally beautiful. Take his 2011 solo exhibition, “Reel Talk” for instance. Martinez took everyday, hardworking people illuminating them as a communicative medium representing what the “new American” looks like today. Constantly creating pieces of art that reflects and documents situations that are present around him, Patrick Martinez offers a look into his personal sketchbook that features his energetic essence and the early designs used in creating Stalley’s Savage Journey To The American Dream album cover art. Busy preparing for his upcoming June show at Known Gallery LA, Martinez was able to give us a special look into his sketchbook for this edition of Pen and Paper.

Photography: Brandon Shigeta/HYPEBEAST