Kris Martin

Kris Martin's work investigates notions of destruction and preservation, duration and finality, examining our sense of time and mortality. 100 Years (2004) is a golden ball bearing a statement that asserts its self-destruction in 100 years' time. It is an object charged with questions of permanence and the longevity of art. The sculpture Ibi Sum (2007) consists of a computerized compass with a blank face and a pointer. Rather than functioning as a traditional compass, which always points towards magnetic north, Ibi Sum's pointer moves in direct relation to a Global Positioning System transmitter always carried by the artist. The work alludes to the virtual presence of the artist in the gallery, indicating his position on the globe at any given time, but never actually revealing his exact coordinates. The Endpoints series are collages of the final full stop from the novel in the title of the work. The eruditely indicate both the destruction and the honoring of the work referenced.