Sarah Martin-Nuss (b. 1992, Corpus Christi, Texas) is an interdisciplinary artist working across painting, drawing, performance and sound. Her work draws inspiration from a wide spectrum, spanning biological systems, the principles of thermodynamics, philosophical post-humanist thought, and the intricate web of ecological relationships. These elements converge within a style of painting she has termed transfigurative, which embraces the constant coevolution of the body with other forms of life, the environment, and technology. Exploring the symbiotic relationship between the body and its surroundings, her paintings question fundamental distinctions between internal and external, self and other. Often synthesizing painting and drawing, Martin-Nuss blends formal techniques with gestural improvisations to create distinct visual rhythms and a deeply personal language of mark-making. Her richly-hued orchestrations of color, line, and space evoke a sense of exchange, activation, and transformation. These dynamic compositions so thoroughly obscure the typical figure-ground relationship that they resist easy categorization as landscapes, figurative representations, or pure abstractions. In a characteristic oscillation between macro and micro, Martin-Nuss seamlessly merges imagery associated with biological systems and celestial phenomena to create visual narratives that transport viewers to a realm where the boundaries between the microcosm of biological entities and the vastness of cosmic bodies blur, inviting contemplation on the shared threads of existence across scales.
Martin-Nuss received her BA in Fine Art and English Literature from Austin College in 2014, and is currently an MFA candidate at Pratt Institute, with a focus on painting and drawing. Martin-Nuss has also studied visual arts at College International De Cannes, and performance, sound and video art at the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is also a producer, songwriter and lead vocalist for the experimental pop duo Dancing In Tongues. In 2021, Martin-Nuss was commissioned to create a sound installation, in collaboration with Katya Grokhovky, for FANTASYLAND at Smack Mellon, Brooklyn, New York. Her recent group exhibitions include What in the World, at The Steuben Gallery, Brooklyn, New York (2023); and Creative Distancing, at Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas (2020). Her recent solo exhibitions include Open Systems, at Prince and Wooster, New York, New York (2023). Martin-Nuss lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.