From July 18 – October 11, 2020, the Arlington Museum of Art collaborated with Knox Martin himself to bring this first-of-its-kind exhibition to North Texas.
This was also the first exhibition hosted by the AMA with full Covid safety protocols in place.
Knox Martin’s work engages with a wide range of aesthetic influences and has been defined by his use of bright colors, bold architectural lines and artistic references to the female form, which often served as a source of artistic inspiration for the artist.
As a retrospective, Knox Martin: Living Legend was unique in many ways. The exhibit featured pieces from Martin’s famed SHE series and WOMAN series, in addition to many other incredible works from the artist’s distinguished career.
The AMA also has the honor of being the first museum to exhibit works from Martin’s Tomato Watercolor series.
A Farewell to Knox Martin
Less than two years after this collaboration between the Arlington Museum of Art and Knox Martin, the artist passed away on May 15, 2022 at the age of 99.
“Martin’s impressive career spans nearly seven decades and has borne witness to several of the largest artistic movements in American history,” said Chris Hightower, President and CEO of the Arlington Museum of Art. “We are honored to have had the opportunity to work directly with Knox Martin to showcase so many pivotal and iconic pieces of his legacy.”
We are fairly certain that Knox Martin: Living Legend was Martin’s final museum exhibition before he died.
About Knox Martin
Knox Martin was born in 1923 in Barranquilla, Colombia. He is the son of the aviator, painter, and poet William Knox Martin, the first man to fly over the Andes mountains. After serving in World War II, Knox Martin attended the Art Students League of New York on the G.I. Bill from 1946-1950, where he studied with Harry Sternberg, Vaclav Vytlacil, Will Barnet, and Morris Kantor.
In 1954, Knox Martin’s friend Franz Kline placed a painting of his in the Stable Gallery Annual. Charles Egan of the renowned Charles Egan Gallery saw Knox Martin’s painting at the Stable Gallery and asked Martin to show his work in a one-man show for the tenth anniversary of the Egan Gallery.
Since then, and until his death in 2022, Knox Martin was a celebrated painter, sculptor and muralist. Martin’s extensive exhibition record includes his collected work in corporate and private collections worldwide, as well as museums including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden at the Smithsonian Institution. His two best-known murals in New York City are Venus and Woman with Bicycle. A recipient of many grants and awards, for over 45 years Martin gave a legendary Master Class at the Art Students League of New York.
A beautiful exhibition of work by a true living legend – Knox Martin.
My dear friend and mentor. For me, he still lives.
Thank you so much, Chris.
A memorial for my father is planned for September 8th at the Art Students League. My brother and I hope that you can attend.
Sending you so much love and comfort. Can you please send the details of the memorial service to info@arlingtonmuseum.org ?
Me Maestro “ Opened so many doors to my Work…”.I always be soThankful …his class monitor for three years, what a pleasure to get to Know him as a friend and as a Mentor!
Since Dad passed I look upon his works with renewed wonder and absolute awe and laughter. The flow of love, respect and messages of friendship is Holy and I thank everyone!
My beautiful Knox Martin was charismatic and spoke with the most beautiful velvet voice, we loved each other.
Reading this and watching this video brought tears to my eyes. It’s hard to think Knox is gone. He painted til the day he passed at his desk working on one of his flower watercolors he loved to paint.
Introduced by my partner Artist George Schulman, Knox was his adopted father mentor and friend who spoke to him everyday.
Over the years I had the privilege to see some of these large paintings while Knox was working on them in his late 90s.
I write this with tears not shed, Knox was a force that who will live on for eternity.
I love you Knox RIP
Oh my goodness, my name is Lynn Beggs. I took art class with Knox Martin back in the late 70’s early 80’s and he taught me everything I know about art.
He was an extraordinary man and I am grateful to have been his student. Over the years I would think of Knox with fondness and respect for the great depth of artistic knowledge he so abundantly shared in every class. His respect for me as a passionate woman painter has kept me painting all these years.
There’s nobody quite like Knox, the most irreverent and the most elegant.
I miss you Knox , just like everyone else who met you and share the same experience of awe at the power, grace and beauty of your Legacy.
You were a Tour De Force and I smile knowing you died at your desk painting a flower.
You were my brother artist.
The greatest artist of the late 20th and early 21st century. It was my privilege to have known him and to have participated in the exhibition at The Arlington Museum of Art.