Martine Gutierrez (born 1991) is a New York‑based interdisciplinary artist whose practice encompasses performance, photography, video, and installation. Her work investigates intersections of gender, race, class, and sexuality, often employing elaborate costuming and staged scenarios to critique social constructs and cultural narratives.
Early life and education
- Born in New York City, United States.
- Earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from the School of Visual Arts in 2013.
- Completed a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at Columbia University’s School of the Arts in 2020.
Artistic practice
Gutierrez’s oeuvre is characterized by highly produced visual tableaux that blend self‑portraiture with performance. She frequently adopts a range of personas and stylized costumes to explore identity politics and the performative aspects of everyday life. Her projects often involve collaborations with makeup artists, stylists, and other specialists to achieve cinematic quality.
Notable works
- Maid to Order (2017) – a series of photographs featuring the artist dressed as a domestic worker, addressing labor, migration, and the fetishization of service roles.
- Moby Dick (2017) – a video work in which Gutierrez enacts a reimagined narrative that merges personal and cultural mythologies.
- Untitled (However) (2020) – a performance‑video piece examining gender fluidity through costume transformation.
- Migrant Dead (2021) – a photographic series depicting the artist as a Caribbean migrant, foregrounding themes of displacement and mortality.
Exhibitions and recognition
- Included in the Whitney Biennial 2022.
- Solo exhibitions at MoMA PS1 (2021), New Museum (2022), and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2023).
- Group shows at the Tate Modern, London and the Victoria Miro, Barcelona.
- Recipient of a 2021 New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Fellowship in Visual Arts.
Publications and critical response
Gutierrez’s work has been featured in art‑journal publications such as Artforum, Frieze, and Hyperallergic. Critics note her meticulous staging and the way she blurs the line between personal narrative and broader sociopolitical commentary.
Professional affiliations
- Represented by the gallery Reena Spaulings in New York.
- Faculty member in the graduate program in Studio Art at Columbia University (part‑time lecturer, as of 2023).
Martine Gutierrez continues to develop projects that interrogate the performance of identity within contemporary cultural contexts, employing a blend of visual spectacle and critical inquiry.
