Artist Eugene Martin's Private Menagerie

http://www.eugenemartinart.com/. This video clips gives a glimpse of graphite pencil drawings depicting fantastic and whimsical animals created by artist Eugene J. Martin in Washington D.C. between 1976-1978. Video clip montage by Suzanne Fredericq, filmed in Lafayette, Louisiana (LA). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_J._Martin .

"Haupe", Music by Duke Ellington from the soundtrack of the motion picture, "Anatomy of a Murder", Otto Preminger, Director. Duke Ellington Orchestra: Duke Ellington (piano); Cat Anderson, Shorty Baker, Clark Terry, Gerald Wilson (trumpet); Ray Nance (trumpet, violin); Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman (trombone); John Sanders (valve trombone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone); Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone); Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Russell Procope (clarinet, alto saxophone); Jimmy Woode (bass); Jimmy Johnson (drums). June 2, 1959. Columbia Jazz. http://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Murder-Soundtrack-Motion-Picture/dp/B00000IMYH/...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• contemporary art
• African American
• art
• drawing
• graphite
• pencil
• animals
• zoology
• whimsical
• fun
• humor
• surrealism
• Eugene James Martin
• EUgene Martin

[karlamorningsun]

I am so sorry to hear that he passed in 2005, but I am so appreciative that his work is posted in many places on the internet. He was a warm-hearted person who served as a roll-model for me. He worked a humble job to support his art. He was no-frills, and showed that you can created something no mater where you are or what the circumstances. With appreciation!

[nemastoma]

Thank you so much for sharing your kind words about Eugene, karlamorningsun. It is wonderful hearing from people who knew Eugene before I met him.

[karlamorningsun]

@nemastoma As years passed, I lost contact. I imagined him aging. I thought one day, possibly after his death, the ubiquitous "they" would find his treasure trove of work in his apartment. Can you imagine my joy in knowing he married and moved to Louisiana and that his work is viewed by and appreciated by so so many! JOY! - Karla McDuffie, Arlington, Va.

[karlamorningsun]

@nemastoma Thank you for your reply! What a GREAT surprise to meet someone who knew Eugene. It is such a delight to see his work and the direction it flowed and developed since my exposure to it all those years ago. And he was leading a humble and "undiscovered" rather unrecognized life of a genius incognito. As a teenager, when I became familiar with his work, I wondered, since he wasn't promoting himself or having shows that I knew of - how would the world ever know of the body of his work?

[karlamorningsun]

When I met Eugene in Dupont Circle as a young woman still in high school, he was sitting and sketching. I was also sketching. He was doing work in conte crayon - very abstract large geomorphic areas of colors and forms overlaying forms. I was doing pencil sketches of people in the circle and the figures of the three sided sculpture in the center of the fountain. I always looked forward to talking to Eugene - although he was a "man of few words" -- I am thrilled to see the outcome of his life.