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Photography by Edward C. Robison III.

Morning and Night (James Baldwin & Angela Davis)

Patrick Martinez borrows the visual language of neon signs used in storefront windows in his L.A. neighborhood. Instead of trying to sell a product, Martinez’s works feature slogans plucked from protest signs, news headlines, and civil rights demonstrations spanning this country’s history. About his works, Martinez states, “To be honest, I don’t really think I will reshape anyone’s politics or point of view. I would like to record history that will inevitably be pushed back on and contested.”

ArtistPatrick Martinez, born 1980
Date2018/2021
MediumNeon on acrylic, transformer, and wire
Dimensions30 1/8 x 36 x 3 in. (76.5 x 91.4 x 7.6 cm)
Inscription(s)verso, u.l., scratched into black acrylic framework: 1/3 verso, u.r., scratched into black acrylic framework: M22
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2021.62
ClassificationSculpture
Provenance(Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, CA); purchased by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2021
On ViewNo
Morning and Night (J…30.1 × 36 in.Tennis Ball2.7 in. diameter

This artwork's face covers about 149× the area of a tennis ball.Drawn to the same scale.