Today: Mar 28, 2024

Junior balances his passion and his major

Jessica RoginskiOnline Editor

Artist Greg Martin, junior chemistry major, sometimes finds it difficult to balance time between his passion for art and his time consuming major. Some of his chemistry classes come with three hour lab periods, and with his art classes come long hours of work in the studio. The solution to his dilemma is managing his time wisely.

“Good time management: getting your work done as soon as possible and just understanding how long it takes certain things to do,” said Martin.

With his most recent wire piece, he said he knew it would take him a long time to accomplish his final product. He worked on the sculpture for about 20 hours, working the wires into shapes exactly how he wanted them to look. He said that he envisioned what his sculpture would look like in his head as soon as the teacher assigned the project.

“I’m not a super religious person, but for some reason this thing popped into my head because it’s something different. It’s outside of my comfort zone,” said Martin. “I’ve never designed with wire before so I liked the challenge.”

The sculpture consists of thick, medium and light wire molded into two figures. One kneels with his head in his hands and bent over in despair. The other figure is an angel above him, gently resting a hand on his shoulder. While the man is stationed firmly to the base, the angel flies off the base and soars over the person.

“What I’m trying to communicate with this specific piece is to let your mind go free,” said Martin. “Don’t be confined to a certain area.”

Martin likes to take a more independent approach with his art. He said the professors he has taken at Southern give him just the right amount of guidance, without taking away originality.

“[Professors] will help you along the way, so if they see something distinctly wrong, in either the way you’re trying to construct something or the way you’re trying to draw something, they will call you out on it,” said Martin. “But when it comes to you doing what you want to do, they won’t control you. The most they’ll do is strongly advise.”

When professors assign Martin a project and he needs to start seeking ideas, he finds comfort in the environment around him. Martin enjoys listening to the sounds, whether it be birds chirping or cars zooming past, because they provide a soothing presence for him to think in.

“I get a lot of inspiration from emptying my mind,” said Martin. “There are so many times where I’m on campus and either I’m stressed about something or I just want to relax, so I take a walk on campus. That’s honestly where all the ideas flow.”

Martin has worked on his art from a very young age, starting from doodles on walls working his way to attending art school for a few years. One aspect of his life that has not changed is the importance of art in his life; It takes a valuable role in expressing himself. He is constantly developing with his projects and always questions himself if he can go further.

“I love showing the world how the gears turn in my head. I love showing people look, this is how I think of things. It also has to do with ability; I love to show what I can achieve, what I can do. Also, [art] is a nice change of pace when you work with beakers nine out of ten times,” said Martin. “It’s a greater way to relax yourself and to show the world, hey, I love to do this and I‘d love to know what you think of it.”

Photo Credit: Sherly Montes – Arts and Entertainment Editor

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