Martha Mason

Martha Mason grew up in a small town in southern California in the early fifties, where the dry landscape and clear colors found expression in her art. Says Mason: In making art, I want to create a feeling of atmosphere related to the way I see the world: all things beautifully mysterious and melting during the process. I am looking for windows of space to open up as I build layers. These windows make possible the tension in the space and add to the ambiguity and the sense of transparency that I love; they unite strong construction and lyrical atmosphere.

Martha studied art at UCLA and the University of Illinois in Urbana, where she earned a BFA in painting in 1970 and an MFA in painting in 1975. While at the University of Illinois, she became excited about working in college under the influence of a Kurt Schwitters traveling show. Martha saw collage as the art of the possible. With a post-graduation move back to the Bay Area, Mason began to show her work, gaining a successful review by Charley Simmons for Art Week.

Martha has taught art at the University of Illinois, University of Wyoming, and Weimar College and Academy. She is currently an assistant professor of art at Walla Walla College in Walla Walla, Washington.