Martin Elliott is a musician, mixed media artist, and architect. Currently, he studies at MIT’s architecture school, where he explores a variety of mediums. Inspired by everything from color swatches to film frames, Martin develops mixed media design techniques. “While painting could be one method of design, film could also be a method of design. Twenty-four frames per second or the number of colors in a paint swatch could become a way to design space, for example.”
In one series, Martin developed a site-specific color palette from a patch of nearby algae. On a site visit to Guadeloupe, Mexico, Martin carried his camera everywhere, capturing plots of land and the surrounding forests. “One day, I zoomed in on a rock and found an amazing collection of colors in a patch of algae. I wanted the color palette of the series to reflect the vegetation of the landscape.”
Martin decided he wanted to pursue architecture in seventh grade, after he learned about one point perspective in an art class. “From that day forward, I drew streets and buildings all the time. And then I realized that people got paid for drawing buildings, and that was it.”
In high school, though, Martin temporarily strayed from his architectural path. Inspired by the local musicians around him, he took time off of school to tour with bands. “I did a lot of music and art in high school, and the people I looked up to had nothing to do with academia or higher education.” After undergrad, however, Martin’s wide variety of interests began to converge. “I’m interested in how the intersection of multi media and architecture can inform space design. My synesthetic design technique enables me to study a variety of subjects and mediums. The process encourages indulgence and play, but also maintains very real ramifications for my design ideas.”
To see more of Martin’s work, check out his Instagram @mart.me. Or shop his collection below!
