The Importance of Process by Shantell Martin

The Importance of Process

Often, the process is overlooked. We give importance to the result of it. But I truly believe that the gravity of the process is the value of art. It can create real connections and a shared experience.

Artists can sometimes fear sharing the process. As if the magic of the work will be stolen in some way and thereby devaluing the work. From my experience, which has shaped my perspective, sharing the process gives you the opportunity to share the magic of it all and it becomes an ever-expanding circulation of reciprocity and recognition of self and the collective.

About: Shantell

Shantell is one of the most groundbreaking visual and multimedia artists working today. Below the surface of Shantell Martin’s signature black and white drawings is an artists’ inquiry into the role of artist and viewer, where a work of art is more than an object of admiration disconnected from its inception. With a meditative process defined by an uninhibited flow, her compositions embody her internal state and the impermanence of the world around her. Exploring themes such as intersectionality, identity, and play, Martin is a cultural facilitator, forging new connections between fine art, education, design, philosophy, and technology.

Known for her exploration into the vast potential of the drawn line, using an ink marker, she creates small personal sketches, large-scale murals, live drawings, and collaborations with artists and institutions including Kendrick Lamar, the New York City Ballet, Tiffany & Co., Puma, and Adidas.

She has exhibited at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, The New Britain Museum of American Art, Denver Art Museum, The Museum of the Moving Image, Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, and MoMA.

Project Credits

Ben Sheppee/Observatory - Animation

Eric Lee - Score

Laksmi Hedemark - Copy

Colton Moyer - Video/Edit

Max Bucksbaum - Nifty Gateway

Note: Edition #7 of each drawing has been reserved by the artist