MARTA ELISE JOHANSEN IS AN ARCHITECT, DESIGNER AND ARTIST. BORN IN RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN IN 1980, MARTA SPENT MOST OF HER CHILDHOOD TRAVELING WORLDWIDE WITH HER PARENTS. SHE GREW UP ON THE MEADOW BIRCH FARM IN DORSET, VERMONT AND MOVED TO CALIFORNIA TO ATTEND USC SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE OVER A DECADE AGO. SHE WORKED AS A DESIGNER IN THE ARCHITECTURE FIRM OF FREDERICK FISHER AND PARTNERS ARCHITECTS FOR 5 YEARS. ALONG WITH HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO MULTIPLE STRUCTURES DESIGNED BY THE FIRM, SHE ALSO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING THE SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE MATERIALS LIBRARY.

 

HAVING TAUGHT DESIGN AND DRAWING STUDIOS TO GRADUATE STUDENTS AT CAL POLY AND USC, MS. JOHANSEN REMAINS COMMITTED TO HER OWN ART. HER FORMAL TRAINING INFORMS HER MINIMALIST DESIGNED REPRESENTATIONS OF THE NATURAL WORLD. MARTA HAS HAD 12 ART EXHIBITIONS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. UPCOMING IS AN EXHIBITION AT THE SOUTHERN VERMONT ARTS CENTER IN 2012. SHE SAYS OF HER WORK, "WHEN I LEARNED TO DRAW, THE FIRST LESSONS WERE TO DRAW "LIVING LINES". ALMOST TWENTY YEARS LATER, I FIND MYSELF LIVING IN THE LINES I DRAW. LINES HAVE BECOME A STANDARD WAY FOR ME TO REPRESENT MYSELF IN THE ARCHITECTURAL AND ART WORLDS THAT I DEFINE MYSELF IN. WITH AN EARLY EDUCATION IN ARTS INCLUDING PAINTING, DRAWING AND SCULPTURE, I EVENTUALLY BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND MY PROCESS. TO FOLLOW A LINE OF A CURVE, TO SLOW DOWN AND SEE EVERYTHING ONE LINE AT A TIME, I FIND CHARACTER IN EACH PRECISE MOVEMENT. THIS PROCESS IS SUPPORTED BY MY FORMAL EDUCATION IN ARCHITECTURE. CURRENTLY I WORK IN BOTH FIELDS AND AM CONSTANTLY EVOLVING BUT ALWAYS RETURNING TO THE LINE."

 

MARTA HAS MOUNTED PRODUCTIONS FROM FUNDRAISERS FOR BUILDING SCHOOLS IN HAITI BY ARCHITECTURE FOR HUMANITY TO PLANNING WEDDINGS. HER WORK SPANS GRAPHICS FOR BUSINESS ENTITIES AND FILM AND TELEVISION TREATMENTS. SHE IS A STRONG RESEARCHER FOR IMAGES AND DETAILED INFORMATION, AND BOTH NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS AND DESIGNED ENVIRONMENTS. MARTA IS KNOWN FOR HER ADVENTURESOME ENVIRONMENTAL EXPLORATIONS; SEEING LAND SCULPTURES OF UTAH IN THE DEAD OF WINTER TO EXPLORING THE EASTERN SIERRAS MINING FOR CRYSTALS. HER PHOTOGRAPHIC EYE IS INSCRUTABLE.

 

MARTA JOHANSEN LIVES IN MILL VALLEY; SHE IS A PART OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. HER STUDIO IS IN THE INDUSTRIAL ARTS CENTER BUILDING (ICB) IN SAUSALITO.

 

FOR INQUIRES ABOUT UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS, PIECES AVAILABLE, COMMISSIONS, AND POTENTIAL EXHIBITIONS, PLEASE CONTACT MARTA AT

 

JOHANSENMARTA@GMAIL.COM

 

310.403.0682

PO BOX 811 SAUSALITO CA 94966

 

 

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