Alejandro Martínez (1971) from Oaxaca de Juárez, México, is anaccomplished artist at conveying emotions and feelings using the cochineal granatechnique, which he has mastered using natural dyes, textures, and forms. Hehas interpreted his art by transforming his family stories, identifying andunifying anyone who appreciates his pictorial presentation.
He has a mature and versatile trajectory for more than 30 years inscreen printing. With more than 50 solo and group exhibitions in Oaxaca, MexicoCity, United States, Spain, Japan, Germany and Italy, he has given granaworkshops in Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina and Italy.
Alejandro’s work, trees painted with cochineal, are a sample ofhis environment and vivid family roots, The power and emotion that permeateseach work is linked to his dreams that seek and cultivate alchemicaltransmutations between cochineal grana and various substances to be complicitin color and light.
The experience of Alejandro, who knows and applies the millenariantechnique, allows him to disseminate and enrich this technique among colleaguesin his state, young artists and children who are involved in the field ofplastic arts. His tree theme has formed a transparent thread that unites whatit paints, his essence and the love for his parents, loved ones who instilledlove for work, life and respect for nature, particularly trees.
Alejandro unites and forms a three-sided symbol, the cochinealgrana, the trees and the emotion and aesthetic expression. Looking to forge anedenic garden where trees that catch glances, overflow textures and replicateribbed traces in tinctures of the cochineal.
Redcolor of the Mexican cochineal, is the greatest red in importance and qualityin thehistoryof pigments. Produced by an insect whose females contain carminic acid, presentin thepalette of many famous European and Mexican artists, as well as in thepreservedprehispaniccodices and documents which tell us the way Mexico passed through tobecomea mixed Nation, and part of the millenary root that unites us as originalpeoples.Amongthe numerous contributions prehispanic Mexico gave to the world, the cohinealrepresenteda great treasure of economic and cultural value due to its unique propertiesas apigment.
Thistiny insect, a parasite of the nopal plant was deeply appreciated byMesoamericancivilizationsto dye their body, codices, walls, pottery, textiles and even food, turned intothesecond most commercialized and pro_table product for the Spanish Crown afterthesilverduring the XVI century. The preeminence of the Mexican grana lasted till thesecondhalf of the XIX century and was spread out all over Europe, it even reached thefarAsianshores.
