It is known that any good artist must find their voice, words and canvas to create something great. As we go through the motions of life, we often wonder what we can do to make a difference and what legacy we leave when our voices are no longer heard.
Writer, Producer and Director Martin Eaton has made notoriety within his community—the Williamsburg resident discovered early on that you dust yourself off and persevere no matter the circumstances. “The tragedy, though, of losing everything is you’re free to do anything. For me, it was writing,” said Eaton. Despite facing numerous challenges, such as losing his company, years of self-medicating with substance abuse, and then the pandemic, Eaton knew that the lockdown gave him the perfect opportunity to reinvent his work. He started to write a pilot titled “Mott & Spy.” His vision became a reality when he directed this two-hour and fifty-five-minute dramedy. The film is about four first-year college students who resurrected a famed newspaper to fight their corrupt university administration. It is currently on YouTube and has been viewed over 50,000 times.
His latest piece, TOMORROW’S VIG, exhibits a prolific understanding of what he conveys through his work. Edgar Degas (French Impressionist and artist 1834 – 1912) once said, “Art is not what you see, but what makes others see.” Eaton incorporates his stories with talented worldwide artists, and, together, they create the power of visual and language artistry. His inspiration came from the “multitude of struggles we face searching for happiness in the modern world.” His stories are a series of everyday life that the outsider can only perceive. Eaton’s work is a series of storytelling that we can relate to:
Technology, isolation, and stewing anger are common themes found in this urban-centric mix that maintains a light undertone of melancholy but dishes out enjoyable flecks of optimism and humorous twists before things get too dark.
Incepted as a writing warm-up routine, the collection expanded from a place of playful practice. The author’s childhood of comic books, light poetry and cartoon collections is evident here in the page-turning style of the series, hitting the reader with twists, deep questions and introspective musings right before handing them the next mini-morsel of drama and conflict. This method suits the wide genre spectrum, but the everyday and its mundaneness reimagined through a myriad of perspectives feels like the most repeated sandbox in which he plays.
Writer’s Review:
As someone who writes poetry, I felt compelled by Eaton’s words. In particular, his story from TOMORROW’S VIG series “Steps” resonated with me: “You see yourself-“, Carina pauses before continuing softly, “outside your own body. You want them to hear you. You’re begging. Shouting. Screaming.” She clears a lump in her throat. “But they can’t.” A fond memory beckons her on, “They smile at you, and you see the child, their innocence and their possibility.” Eaton’s stories are powerful and emotional, and they have the ability to transport the reader back to their childhood. It makes you think about your life in retrospect. Any good artist will take you to an uncomfortable spot where it comforts you.
As per Eaton, he finally found his home through his trials and tribulations.
Eaton’s exhibition ran from March 11 to 13, 2024 at My Gallery NYC, 587 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn.
